Safety

[ObamaBinLaden]

Are fuming acids safe to handle without a gas mask?

Are glass stoppers good for fuming acids?

Edited April 26, 2014 by ObamaBinLaden

[Elite Engineer]

It depends on the chemical reaction. If you're reacting acetic acid (vinegar) and sodium bicarbonate (baking soda), which emits carbon dixode, you're fine. You should be more concerned with just the acid its self. Hydrochloric acid has potential deadly fumes, as well as many other acids. So yes you should either use a gas mask or at least work outside when working with even small concentrations of any acid.

 

Glass stoppers should do just fine, except for hydrofluoric, it'll eat through the glass itself.

 

~ee

[John Cuthber]

If Elite engineer thinks vinegar is a fuming acid, he needs to check the definitions.

 

YOu can not asses the "safety" of a chemical on its own.

You need to know what is being doe, how and with how much.

If you only have a drop of conc HCl then it's not going to do much harm.

If you have a bucket full, and you boil it then a gas mask still won't save your skin.

[Elite Engineer]

If Elite engineer thinks vinegar is a fuming acid, he needs to check the definitions.

I was just generalizing a reaction that's relatively safe and doesn't really require a gas mask or heavy precautions. I could have said if you're going to burn ammonium chloride, wear a mask...just giving general lab safety instruction, it wasnt entirely relative to the OP.

[ObamaBinLaden]

I was just generalizing a reaction that's relatively safe and doesn't really require a gas mask or heavy precautions. I could have said if you're going to burn ammonium chloride, wear a mask...just giving general lab safety instruction, it wasnt entirely relative to the OP.

With fuming acids i mean fuming acids,not fumes from a reaction or boiling it.The fumes that are produced by oleum for example,or HNO3 above 90%.