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Topic: Perchloric acid  (Read 5126 times)

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Offline VH

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Perchloric acid
« on: September 24, 2010, 10:05:37 AM »
Hi, I have a bottle of concentrated perchloric acid (aprox. 70 %). I want to get rid of it (well evrybody knows what HClO4 is...). I would be happiest to neutralize it to get KClO4 which, I assume, could be easily purrified and relatively safe. But I have not much experience with this acid. I have read many books and manuals on handling HClO4 but didnt find anything particular about neutralization. In some manuals it is written that spills can be safely neutralized by soda but I have no idea how it behaves in larger quantities. I also heard that during diluting it might explode.

So I would appreciate some advice and your experience with SAFE diluting and neutralizating of this acid. Thanks. :)

Offline 408

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Re: Perchloric acid
« Reply #1 on: September 24, 2010, 11:53:10 AM »
I kept 500mL of 70% perchloric acid on a table near my bed for 2 years.  This stuff gets a bad reputation for incompetent people not knowing basic chemistry.

The reason you have not been finding anything on neutralization is because it is so easy. Diluting 70% will not cause it to explode.  That is for anhydrous perchloric acid.

Dilute perchloric by adding it to a volume of water making it 10% or less.  Neutralize with baking soda or sodium carbonate, or KOH if you want to ppt KClO4



Offline VH

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Re: Perchloric acid
« Reply #2 on: September 24, 2010, 12:19:13 PM »
You are right, it has very bad reputation. Therefore I asked. You never know what might happen so it is always better to ask for advice. Thanks  ;)

Offline Borek

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Re: Perchloric acid
« Reply #3 on: September 24, 2010, 04:16:11 PM »
Don't hurry, both dilution and neutralization will be exothermic.
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