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MrHomeScientist
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I have about 500g of ammonium bifluoride that I bought for my neodymium magnet experiments (smallest size I could find, unfortunately), and I did my
own experiment to see how well it etched glass. I dissolved maybe 0.5g in 10mL of water or so, and poured this on the bottom of an overturned glass
bottle. I didn't want to etch the inside so I figured I'd try it that way. I left it there for a few hours, but observed almost no etching. Maybe my
solution wasn't concentrated enough.
I'm with woelen, though - HF-related chemicals make me very nervous.
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Dr.Bob
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It is buffered by the ammonia, so it takes a conc. solution and some time to etch glass. That is why is it safer and preferred, as you can control
the amount of etching very precisely by the time you wait, whereas with aq. HF it would be much harder to control the amount of etching. Even strong
HF does not dissolve glass like toluene does styofoam.
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MrHomeScientist
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Ahhh that makes a lot of sense, thanks for the clarification. Currently my stuff is stored in a plastic bottle with one of those child-safety caps,
but I think i'm going to nest that in a bucket or something lined with baking soda, as I do with my other acids.
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