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acid pickle

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Dougie Swan22/06/2009 16:44:31
269 forum posts
73 photos
Can anyone tell me where I can buy sulphuric acid in Scotland, the last bottle I have is nearly gone and my enquiries at the local chemist have proved fruitless Dougie
Circlip22/06/2009 17:18:15
1723 forum posts
Car Battery shop. S*d the Elfins, but DOOOOOOOOOO take care.
 
   Regards  Ian
mgj22/06/2009 21:10:53
1017 forum posts
14 photos
Quick point, but I have always done better at motorcycle shops. For some reason the smaller batteries are often the maintenanceful acid filled types stored dry charged. 
 
Which would also mean that a bigger garden machinery place that sold and serviced ride on mowers would possibly be worth a phone call too.
LADmachining22/06/2009 21:40:56
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126 forum posts
11 photos
I have used 'One-Shot' drain cleaner from B&Q, which is pretty much just sulphuric acid.
 
Diluted it down to about 10:1 with water, and it works a treat.
 
Was about £5 for a litre, but it has lasted me about 6 years so far, and is still half full.
 
As others have said, take care, as it is nasty stuff.
 
Anthony
Dougie Swan23/06/2009 20:38:48
269 forum posts
73 photos
Thanks for the replies, if I go to a car battery shop like halfords do I just ask for battery acid?
I've been using pure acid(99.9) for the past few years which I dilute to 20/1, how does that compare to battery acid?
Dougie
LADmachining23/06/2009 20:49:19
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126 forum posts
11 photos
Very unlikely you will get battery acid from Halfords or any other motor factor.  Most batteries these days are supplied ready filled and sealed.
 
Even motorcycle batteries (or the more modern ones anyway) are supplied with their own acid pack with which you fill the battery.
 
 
Dougie Swan23/06/2009 20:56:42
269 forum posts
73 photos
I suspected as much, that brings me back to my original quest of finding an acid supplier near me.
The problem with supply seems to have started after 9/11 when in the aftermath lots of chemicals that could be used to make nasty stuff were re clasified and supply dried up
( thats what my chemist told me)
How does dry acid salts that I can get through the post compare to liquid?
Dougie
mgj23/06/2009 21:35:33
1017 forum posts
14 photos
Well try the bike shops anyway - yellow page one or two. I've been able to buy it as recently as a month ago, so its about. 
 
Incidentally most welding shops do a pickle paste - wouldn't do for a copper boiler or some such, but quite handy for small jobs.
 
Have you looked in the yellow pages under chemical factors?
 
Also water treatment people. They add caustic and sulphuric to adjust the ph of things (Not at the same time I wouldn't imagine!), so they have gallons of the stuff.
 
Still the B&Q option seems pretty good. 
Mike.H.24/06/2009 15:29:33
5 forum posts
 
How about using Citric acid I find it works fine ,and the home brew shops dont employ elfins
   Mike. H.
mgj24/06/2009 18:24:31
1017 forum posts
14 photos
I asked in our lab about dry acid salts. Sulphuric and the inorganic acids don't exist as a salt or crystal, I'm told. Organic acids like citric, do.
AndyP24/06/2009 20:15:24
189 forum posts
30 photos
The "dry salts" I use are termed safety pickle - commonly sold into the jewellery trade, the composition portion of the data sheet reads:-
 
"Sodium hydrogen sulphate (a modified salt based predominantly on sodium bisulphate). The product is not corrosive if kept dry but in damp or wet conditions it readily absorbs water, forming an acidic liquid which is mildly corrosive when in contact with skin, eyes or by ingestion or inhalation."
 
One common source of the main component is swimming pool consumable suppliers - it is used to lower the ph ! (ph down is one brand name).
Andy
david gregg24/06/2009 22:34:24
4 forum posts
 Does it have to be sulphuric acid   .Hydrocloric acid is available in farm supply shops ,it is used as a steralising agent in the dairy industry ,i dont know what the contretation rate is It costs approx  £ 14  for 20 litres           
Acrosticus24/06/2009 23:39:36
24 forum posts
2 photos
It doesn't have to be sulphuric acid, you can use citric if you can get it but Boots don't  seem to stock it any more despite its being used in some food preparations. Reason is apparently because it's used to "let down" cocaine.. I'm told that wine-making/homebrewing shops sell it. Some places keep it for sale for descaling kettles etc. 
 I wouldn't use hydrochloric acid: too corrosive for this purpose IMO.
 
If you are diluting concentrated Sulphuric acid, don't forget you must add the acid to the water and not the other way round which is dangerous!
mgj25/06/2009 16:48:15
1017 forum posts
14 photos
We can get citric easily enough at a proper chemist.Thats what I use, and it seems very effective.
 
I have 5l of sulphuric, but of the two, I find citric better.
 
Best of all in that line is to get the metal really clean, and to solder when it isn't too hot.,and use a lot of flux. That way water is pretty good and leaves nothing behind. You just don't get any of that burned on black glass - its all a soft paste which washes off in a couple of seconds. probalby wouldn't work on a big job, but on small stuff I rarely need the pickle.
 
Ordinary chemists also stock caustic which also works well.
Andy26/06/2009 08:35:26
5 forum posts
If you are looking for Citric Acid, you can sometimes find it in bulk in asian food supermarkets at it is still used a lot in that style of cooking.
GoCreate27/06/2009 02:47:06
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387 forum posts
119 photos
Hi
I bought a motorbike battery on ebay for £12 which came with a separate electrolyte pack. I bought it for the battery, not the acid. Probably an expensive way to buy a small quantity of acid. The Citric Acid route seems a safer and convienient.
David Clark 127/06/2009 08:27:52
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3357 forum posts
112 photos
10 articles
Hi there
I bought Citric acid crystalsfrom Ebay.
I always look on Ebay before buying anything.
Don't always find it cheaper on Ebay but it often saves money.
regards david
 
Jim K28/06/2009 04:31:15
66 forum posts
28 photos
Hi,
I bought acid from a supplier in Paisley Scotland it is in back sneddon street i think if you have no luck i will check the address when i get home in 3 weeks
Jim
Speedy Builder517/03/2010 18:59:18
2878 forum posts
248 photos
I guess it is a bit late,  but sulphuric and hydrochloric acids are freely avaiable from most DIY shops in France,  also many larger super markets.  Sulphuric is used for swimming pools - keeps the bathers nice and pink when the sun doesn't show,  and hydrochloric is for drain cleaning.  Both are normally found on the shelves that are about eye level for a 4 year old child !!!  Vive le france

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