Where Can I Find H2SO4?

[budullewraagh]

i checked all the pool supply stores in my area and none had it. they all said they only carry muriatic acid. i know i could just look online, but is there a place i could get it aside from a chemical distrubiting company?

[fafalone]

Check the drain cleaner section of hardware stores... i'm pretty sure theres a fire something drain opener thats pure H2SO4... though you might want to try more pool supply stores, as that's where i got my H2SO4.

[YT2095]

or empty out a charged car battery, better still, buy some from a place that sells batteries or services them, forklift battery maintainance companys will sell you gallons (if you provide a suitable container) for pennies

and it`s 35 to 40% conc

[alext87]

If you ask your local secondary school i think that could probably tell you where they got their sulphuric acid from. I'm sure the same company that sells to them will have a higher concentration of sulphuric acid as well.

[aommaster]

they usually buy it off Philip & Harris or Wyvern. These are companies that sell equipment for labs

[budullewraagh]

thanks to all of you, i'll look around

[YT2095]

you`ll find it difficult to purchase any above 40%, you`ll need a darn good reason, a company letter head before you`ll get and accont and secure premisses in which to store it, you may blame the terrorist fools for this!

[fafalone]

Of course it's really simple to distill your own concentrated form.

[YT2095]

you don`t even have to go that far )

 

just pour your 40% into a glass coffee charafe and put it on the stove at medium to low heat untill all the water evaporates, that`ll give you a good 98% conc

you`ll know it, because it will look more like smoke rather that steam coming off and the acid will be viscous like oil.

 

be warned!!!! get this on your skin or clothes and you`ll regret it BIG TIME!!!!

and NEVER EVER EVER add water to it!!!! add IT to Water NEVER water to IT, as it`ll blow up in your face!!!

[felinlasv]

Could you use old car batteries too? And won't it be spoiled with impurities? Since I live close to a recycling park where I can get old car batteries, but I have a hard time finding H2SO4 elsewhere.

[budullewraagh]

this is incredibly annoying. i've called all local pool stores and they only carry HCl. also, i went to home depot and they dont have KNO3 or NaNO3. instead, they have mixtures of K2O, P2O5 and urea. sheesh.

[YT2095]

won't it be spoiled with impurities?

it all depends on what you wish to do with the acid.

if you`re making other acids from it, then no Hno3, HCl, HI, HPO4 etc... it`ll do no harm to.

nor will displacement reations with more suluble salts as any remaining Pb will drop out of soln instantly

now I`m not saying this will be food or pharmacutical grade, but certainly by the laws of chemistry, more than adequate for the home experimenteer )

[felinlasv]

Thanks a lot, know I finally found a cheap and easy way to get H2SO4..

[YT2095]

a word of caution though, don`t get it on your clothes, it may not burn you when dilute, but the next time your clothes get washed, they`ll be full of holes!

[researcher88]

An easy way to get H2SO4

 

H2SO4 can be purchased easily at a mechanic store. It will be calld as "Battery acid". as you realise it is very diluted, so all you have to do is to heat it and let all water to evaporate, that is when you see unpleasent gas start to appear. you shall do it out doors.

[aommaster]

An easy way to get H2SO4

let all water to evaporate

 

Correction' date=' not [i']all[/i] the water. If you do, then you end up with a solid. Just make note of that. You let lots of water evaporate, but not all!

[Dave]

I have to say:

 

1) You're talking about heating up sulphuric acid, and the gas emitted from this would definately not be pleasent.

2) Spitting acid != good.

3) Don't do it unless you like the idea of acid burns and general pain/misery.

4) In fact, just don't do it.

[aommaster]

dave, what is the solid formed after you evaporate all the water in the acid?

[YT2095]

over heating will result in Sulpher Trioxide after it passed the Oleum stage.

[aommaster]

What's an oleum stage?

[YT2095]

it`s the stage during the manufacture of sulphuric acid, where SO3 wont dissolve directly into water, but WILL dissolve in H2SO4, when is has dissolved this liquid is called Oleum, it`s not at this stage technicaly an Acid.

[aommaster]

oh ok. Thanx!

[felinlasv]

The stage in which your liquid gets more viscous. It won't look like water anymore but like oil.

[YT2095]

yup

 

and a good way to test that it`s good stuff is put a drop of it on a pile of sugar, if it goes black instantly and starts steaming, you`re there

[felinlasv]

Hehe, nice one..