Ads
related to: best price for muriatic acid solutioncheaper99.com has been visited by 1M+ users in the past month
Search results
Results From The WOW.Com Content Network
Hydrochloric acid, also known as muriatic acid or spirits of salt, is an aqueous solution of hydrogen chloride (HCl). It is a colorless solution with a distinctive pungent smell. It is classified as a strong acid. It is a component of the gastric acid in the digestive systems of most animal species, including humans.
The hydrochloric acid provides a ready supply of chloride ions (Cl −), which react with the gold ions to produce tetrachloroaurate(III) anions ([AuCl 4] −), also in solution. The reaction with hydrochloric acid is an equilibrium reaction that favors formation of tetrachloroaurate(III) anions.
The resulting solution is called hydrochloric acid and is a strong acid. The acid dissociation or ionization constant, K a, is large, which means HCl dissociates or ionizes practically completely in water. Even in the absence of water, hydrogen chloride can still act as an acid.
Hydrochloric acid is a common mineral acid typically used for concrete. Vinegar can also be used to clean hard surfaces and remove calcium deposits. Sulphuric acid is used in acidic drain cleaners to unblock clogged pipes by dissolving organic materials, like greases, proteins, and even carbohydrate-containing substances such as toilet tissue.
It can also be produced by the addition of hydrochloric acid to a hot, concentrated solution of mercury(I) compounds such as the nitrate: [2] Hg 2 (NO 3) 2 + 4 HCl → 2 HgCl 2 + 2 H 2 O + 2 NO 2. Heating a mixture of solid mercury(II) sulfate and sodium chloride also affords volatile HgCl 2, which can be separated by sublimation. [2]
The speed of the descaling action depends on the concentration and acidity or pH of the solution provided. Hydrochloric acid is much stronger than acetic acid, for example, and therefore tends to remove scale faster. Weak acids such as acetic or citric acids may be preferred, however, where damage to the substrate is to be minimised. [citation ...