thebean - 10-6-2014 at 20:20
I noticed that my sulfuric acid from Elemental Scientific was becoming slightly dis colored. If I let the acid move away from one edge by tilting the
bottle I noticed a sort of rim of a substance. Anyone else have this problem? Does it ruin the acid?
numos - 10-6-2014 at 21:04
The containers are polyethylene and should not react with the acid, my acid is slightly discolored too, but my guess is contamination from the air. I
have two containers, one still sealed, the other opened for about 3 months, the sealed is still crystal clear, the open one has a tan hue. So exposure
to air had something to do with it.
Rogeryermaw - 11-6-2014 at 04:00
I have this issue as well. It is only true of H2SO4 that I have stored for a significant period. I also noticed that if I keep it refrigerated, it
stays clear for years. I thought maybe some carbon contamination or something. I haven't used it for anything critical after it discolors but it's
still plenty potent for nitric distillation.
Zyklon-A - 11-6-2014 at 05:40
I have noticed the same thing with the sulfuric acid from Elemental Scientific.
Slightly brown, and the floating rim stuff.
I guess that the container might be attacked very slowly, even though it shouldn't. My container only holds 4 Fl OZ's (I prefer mL) so I go through it
pretty fast. I have a liter or so of it stored in a glass bottle, which I use to refill the easier to use plastic container.
The color is barely noticeable, so it's not a big deal, but I wouldn't use those containers to store it - use glass.