[hunkysneighbour]

What is the legal situation re buying and selling, and just owning commonly used chemicals?

I'm thinking of stuff like salts, conc acids, mercury, magnesium etc.

and I'm particularly thinking of UK law.

Sorry to ask such a basic question, I've been googling this and come up with nothing, except for talk of protecting your sources and making your acids at home, which makes me think there must be some sort of restrictions

[Captain Sci]

Hi there

In theory you are allowed to purchase chemicals and corrosive substances, but you should bear in mind that some substances are illegal to possess because of their association to illicit drugs and/or explosives. Others are legal, but only when purchased in small quantities.

You will struggle to find a complete and comprehensive list of banned substances in the UK because such a list would also tell you which compounds can be used for the above-mentioned purposes. If you need to purchase a chemical, call a UK supplier and find out if they can send it to a "home" address. If the answer is "no", make sure you ask them whether it is:

a) Because of Government regulations
b) Because of company policy

Feel free to email me directly (check my profile for our address) if you need any specific advise on a chemical - I'd be happy to check the status for you. If you need purification sorbents (for example research-grade silica gel, reverse phases and Florisil), I can confirm with you that there are no restrictions in place and I can even help you acquire these in the UK at very low cost. Feel free to email me, I'd be happy to help.

Kind regards

Athan