Battery Acid? Sulfuric.

Standard concentration for car battery acid is 32% H2SO4. When mixing
this for preparing a 10% or 1% solution, keep in mind that the density
of a solution of 32% is considerably larger than 1.0 gram/ml. Lookup a
table for the density at this concentration.

When the acid is diluted, I would not bother about lead impurities.
Lead sulfate is HIGHLY insoluble in water, and in dilute acid. Only in
concentrated H2SO4, lead sulfate is soluble to some extent.

When you use sulphuric acid, be careful with it. When sulphuric acid is
spilled, it does not evaporate (as opposed to nitric acid and
hydrochloric acid). Even low concentration acids can be risky when
spilled and left unnoticed. Most of the water evaporates out of the
acid and a certain equilibrium concentration of several tens of
percents is obtained in the long run. It eats virtually everything,
when sufficiently concentrated. Car battery acid is of sufficient
concentration to worry about this risk.

I sometimes use technical grade sulphuric acid and it works fine for
photography purposes. The use of reagent grade (expensive) acid is not
necessary.

Wilco

Standard concentration for car battery acid is 32% H2SO4. When mixing
this for preparing a 10% or 1% solution, keep in mind that the density
of a solution of 32% is considerably larger than 1.0 gram/ml. Lookup a
table for the density at this concentration.

When the acid is diluted, I would not bother about lead impurities.
Lead sulfate is HIGHLY insoluble in water, and in dilute acid. Only in
concentrated H2SO4, lead sulfate is soluble to some extent.

When you use sulphuric acid, be careful with it. When sulphuric acid is
spilled, it does not evaporate (as opposed to nitric acid and
hydrochloric acid). Even low concentration acids can be risky when
spilled and left unnoticed. Most of the water evaporates out of the
acid and a certain equilibrium concentration of several tens of
percents is obtained in the long run. It eats virtually everything,
when sufficiently concentrated. Car battery acid is of sufficient
concentration to worry about this risk.

I sometimes use technical grade sulphuric acid and it works fine for
photography purposes. The use of reagent grade (expensive) acid is not
necessary.

Wilco

In article .com,
wrote:

Standard concentration for car battery acid is 32% H2SO4. When mixing
this for preparing a 10% or 1% solution, keep in mind that the density
of a solution of 32% is considerably larger than 1.0 gram/ml. Lookup a
table for the density at this concentration.

When the acid is diluted, I would not bother about lead impurities.
Lead sulfate is HIGHLY insoluble in water, and in dilute acid. Only in
concentrated H2SO4, lead sulfate is soluble to some extent.

When you use sulphuric acid, be careful with it. When sulphuric acid is
spilled, it does not evaporate (as opposed to nitric acid and
hydrochloric acid). Even low concentration acids can be risky when
spilled and left unnoticed. Most of the water evaporates out of the
acid and a certain equilibrium concentration of several tens of
percents is obtained in the long run. It eats virtually everything,
when sufficiently concentrated. Car battery acid is of sufficient
concentration to worry about this risk.

I sometimes use technical grade sulphuric acid and it works fine for
photography purposes. The use of reagent grade (expensive) acid is not
necessary.

Wilco


Thanks for that!!
--
LF Website @ http://members.verizon.net/~gregoryblank

"To announce that there must be no criticism of the President,
or that we are to stand by the President, right or wrong,
is not only unpatriotic and servile, but is morally treasonable
to the American public."--Theodore Roosevelt, May 7, 1918

In article .com,
wrote:

Standard concentration for car battery acid is 32% H2SO4. When mixing
this for preparing a 10% or 1% solution, keep in mind that the density
of a solution of 32% is considerably larger than 1.0 gram/ml. Lookup a
table for the density at this concentration.

When the acid is diluted, I would not bother about lead impurities.
Lead sulfate is HIGHLY insoluble in water, and in dilute acid. Only in
concentrated H2SO4, lead sulfate is soluble to some extent.

When you use sulphuric acid, be careful with it. When sulphuric acid is
spilled, it does not evaporate (as opposed to nitric acid and
hydrochloric acid). Even low concentration acids can be risky when
spilled and left unnoticed. Most of the water evaporates out of the
acid and a certain equilibrium concentration of several tens of
percents is obtained in the long run. It eats virtually everything,
when sufficiently concentrated. Car battery acid is of sufficient
concentration to worry about this risk.

I sometimes use technical grade sulphuric acid and it works fine for
photography purposes. The use of reagent grade (expensive) acid is not
necessary.

Wilco


Thanks for that!!
--
LF Website @ http://members.verizon.net/~gregoryblank

"To announce that there must be no criticism of the President,
or that we are to stand by the President, right or wrong,
is not only unpatriotic and servile, but is morally treasonable
to the American public."--Theodore Roosevelt, May 7, 1918

wrote in message
oups.com...
Standard concentration for car battery acid is 32% H2SO4.
When mixing
this for preparing a 10% or 1% solution, keep in mind that
the density
of a solution of 32% is considerably larger than 1.0
gram/ml. Lookup a
table for the density at this concentration.

When the acid is diluted, I would not bother about lead
impurities.
Lead sulfate is HIGHLY insoluble in water, and in dilute
acid. Only in
concentrated H2SO4, lead sulfate is soluble to some
extent.

When you use sulphuric acid, be careful with it. When
sulphuric acid is
spilled, it does not evaporate (as opposed to nitric acid
and
hydrochloric acid). Even low concentration acids can be
risky when
spilled and left unnoticed. Most of the water evaporates
out of the
acid and a certain equilibrium concentration of several
tens of
percents is obtained in the long run. It eats virtually
everything,
when sufficiently concentrated. Car battery acid is of
sufficient
concentration to worry about this risk.

I sometimes use technical grade sulphuric acid and it
works fine for
photography purposes. The use of reagent grade (expensive)
acid is not
necessary.

Wilco

I believe that reagent grade chemicals may not actually
be any purer than technical or photo grade but comes with an
assay showing the impurities and their amounts. High purity
chemicals are available but are very expensive. For
photography technical grade chemicals are perfectly
satisfactory for more purposes.
I should have pointed out in my post as you did that the
more diluted battery acid can be used in most formulas by
simply increasing the amount. Unless it has certain metallic
impurities which are specifically injurious to photo
processes it should work fine. Lead should make no
difference since lead lined containers were standard
practice for many years for photo processing. Aluminium,
copper, brass, iron, should be avoided. Copper in very small
amounts is a prodigeous fogging agent.


--
---
Richard Knoppow
Los Angeles, CA, USA

In article ,
"Richard Knoppow" wrote:


I believe that reagent grade chemicals may not actually
be any purer than technical or photo grade but comes with an
assay showing the impurities and their amounts. High purity
chemicals are available but are very expensive. For
photography technical grade chemicals are perfectly
satisfactory for more purposes.
I should have pointed out in my post as you did that the
more diluted battery acid can be used in most formulas by
simply increasing the amount. Unless it has certain metallic
impurities which are specifically injurious to photo
processes it should work fine. Lead should make no
difference since lead lined containers were standard
practice for many years for photo processing. Aluminium,
copper, brass, iron, should be avoided. Copper in very small
amounts is a prodigeous fogging agent.

Interesting, I know the acid did not come from old batteries,...
the guy who sold it to me had a large cubey-tainer from
which he was filing smaller charging bottles the larger cubey-tainer
was factory packaged acid and he told my bottles came from it.
--
LF Website @ http://members.verizon.net/~gregoryblank

"To announce that there must be no criticism of the President,
or that we are to stand by the President, right or wrong,
is not only unpatriotic and servile, but is morally treasonable
to the American public."--Theodore Roosevelt, May 7, 1918

Gregory W Blank wrote:

In article ,
"Richard Knoppow" wrote:


I believe that reagent grade chemicals may not actually
be any purer than technical or photo grade but comes with an
assay showing the impurities and their amounts. High purity
chemicals are available but are very expensive. For
photography technical grade chemicals are perfectly
satisfactory for more purposes.
I should have pointed out in my post as you did that the
more diluted battery acid can be used in most formulas by
simply increasing the amount. Unless it has certain metallic
impurities which are specifically injurious to photo
processes it should work fine. Lead should make no
difference since lead lined containers were standard
practice for many years for photo processing. Aluminium,
copper, brass, iron, should be avoided. Copper in very small
amounts is a prodigeous fogging agent.


Interesting, I know the acid did not come from old batteries,...
the guy who sold it to me had a large cubey-tainer from
which he was filing smaller charging bottles the larger cubey-tainer
was factory packaged acid and he told my bottles came from it.

That's the way battery acid is normally distributed; acid recovered from
recycled batteries is disposed of as hazarous waste. It's not the lead;
that's relatively easy to precipitate any remaining lead that might be
in solution (neutralize with baking soda or chalk, and the lead sulfate
will precipitate). It's cadmium, which stays in solution better than
lead (cadmium sulfate is about as soluble as silver sulfate, and will
remain dissolved at hazarous levels in a neutral solution), and is added
to the plates in modern batteries to extend their life.

Last time I had battery acid around, it came to me in a small rubbery
pouch (I think it was some kind of silicone elastomer, in fact) that was
to be used in filling the (dry charged) battery immediately before
installation or in the store for rack charging prior to sale. Battery
acid obtained in containers, rather than manually drained from a battery
by the end user, should be plain technical grade acid diluted with
filtered water to working strength (the water is filtered in a manner
that specifically removes chlorides, most likely reverse osmosis;
chloride ion poisons the reaction that makes a lead-acid battery work).

Basic precaution in handling battery acid is to neutralize the working
area with baking soda after work is completed -- specifically to prevent
evaporative concentration warned of in another thread. Also worthy of
note, a tiny drop of battery acid will eat a hole in any cotton cloth
that won't show up until the article is laundered and the damaged area
crumbles or dissolves in the wash water. It's similarly hazardous to
eyes; wear goggles (or, better, a full face shield) as well as the heavy
neoprene or nitrile gloves, and preferably a neoprene coated apron as
well. Have an eye wash available (a shower works very well for this),
and keep a box of baking soda handy.

--
The challenge to the photographer is to command the medium, to use
whatever current equipment and technology furthers his creative
objectives, without sacrificing the ability to make his own decisions.
-- Ansel Adams

Donald Qualls, aka The Silent Observer http://silent1.home.netcom.com

Opinions expressed are my own -- take them for what they're worth
and don't expect them to be perfect.

Gregory W Blank writes:

"To announce that there must be no criticism of the President,
or that we are to stand by the President, right or wrong,
is not only unpatriotic and servile, but is morally treasonable
to the American public."--Theodore Roosevelt, May 7, 1918

You need to check if it is 35%, or if it is diluted down for filling
as is. 35% is diluted before it is used in the batteries, but nowdays
they may well be shipping the more dilute read to use conc so as to
not confuse the burger flippers.

--
Paul Repacholi 1 Crescent Rd.,
+61 (08) 9257-1001 Kalamunda.
West Australia 6076
comp.os.vms,- The Older, Grumpier Slashdot
Raw, Cooked or Well-done, it's all half baked.
EPIC, The Architecture of the future, always has been, always will be.

Gregory W Blank writes:

"To announce that there must be no criticism of the President,
or that we are to stand by the President, right or wrong,
is not only unpatriotic and servile, but is morally treasonable
to the American public."--Theodore Roosevelt, May 7, 1918

You need to check if it is 35%, or if it is diluted down for filling
as is. 35% is diluted before it is used in the batteries, but nowdays
they may well be shipping the more dilute read to use conc so as to
not confuse the burger flippers.

--
Paul Repacholi 1 Crescent Rd.,
+61 (08) 9257-1001 Kalamunda.
West Australia 6076
comp.os.vms,- The Older, Grumpier Slashdot
Raw, Cooked or Well-done, it's all half baked.
EPIC, The Architecture of the future, always has been, always will be.