[fogman]

   I am trying to find the best way to make HNO_3 so please post your opinions on the easiest way to do it.

[Alpha-Omega]

NO2...dissolved in water....simple....you have fun with that...!!!!!

[Alpha-Omega]

Pure anhydrous nitric acid (100%) is a colorless liquid with a density of 1522 kg/m³ which solidifies at -42°C to form white crystals and boils at 83°C. When boiling in light, even at room temperature, there is a partial decomposition with the formation of nitrogen dioxide following the reaction:

4HNO3 → 2H2O + 4NO2 + O2 (72°C)

Which means that anhydrous nitric acid should be stored below 0°C to avoid decomposition. The nitrogen dioxide (NO2) remains dissolved in the nitric acid coloring it yellow, or red at higher temperatures. While the pure acid tends to give off white fumes when exposed to air, acid with dissolved nitrogen dioxide gives off reddish-brown vapours, leading to the common name "red fuming acid" or "fuming nitric acid"

This is in Wikipedia....

[Arkcon]

It really depends on what you want it for ...

An easy way is to distill it off a solution of a nitrate salt in sulfuric acid, the way ancient Islamic alchemists did.  Note that they had very low community standards for safety in those days, and could get away the occasional blinding, burning, lab explosion, investigator death, etc. without attracting too much attention.  You will need, for example, an all borosilicate glass distilling rig, as cork or rubber are readily attacked by hot HNO3 vapor.  The mere possession of such glassware in some jurisdictions is automatic assumption of drug manufacturing -- I saw that on Cops.

If you intent to make a nitrate salt from the nitric acid, then burning up a salt like that is a waste.  If you need nitric from nothing, as it were, you need to do it the way its manufactured -- under high pressure, with catalysts, under industrial conditions.

Basically, if you have a legitimate need, and can prove you can handle it safely, you can just buy it from Sigma Chemical -- pure, clean, delivered to your company/home in a nice glass bottle, for a reasonable price.

[IITian]

The Best Way....

order online & get it delevered!!