Analog:
I have had muriatic acid in plastic containers in my garage
for a while now, and have not noticed that it has affected
anything in the garage, including the items previously
mentioned. In this neck of the woods, I don't think it is unusual for
folks to have muriatic acid and other pool maintenance
chemicals around the house most of the time, and nearly
all of this time the materials are in the containers they
were purchased in.
I don't know about having the peroxide/muriatic acid mixture
setting around the house, because I usually neutralize the batch
I have just used with sodium bicarbonate, and get rid of it.
The stuff is cheap enough to allow me to do this.
Since the southern Arizona desert is a very arid environment,
we don't have the relative humidity that might cause problems
in other portions of the world.
And, it is not unusual for the temperature to go up to 90 degrees F (or
higher)
in my garage during the summer months.
In the supermarkets around here, I see a large number of 4-pack
cartons of muriatic acid, each containing 4, 1gallon jugs.
I have never seen or heard of any ill-effects on anything else in the
supermarket
as a result of being around that much muriatic acid 24 hours, 7 days a week,
356 days a year. At the local Home Depot, the 5 gallon jugs of muriatic
are stored outside in the garden supply area, but I think this is simply
because all the other pool maintenance stuff is out there. At Ace
Hardware, 1 qt and 1 gal jugs are on the shelves inside the store.
This leads me to believe that it is the strength of the substance (Baume)
that makes the difference.
I'll close my contribution to this discussion by stating that my personal
experience has shown that the peroxide/muriatic acid etchant is
both effective and economical. In addition, it leaves no ugly brown
stains.
The most important part is that my wife has informed that she will pay for
all the peroxide and muriatic acid I can possibly use.....if I just
don't bring
that "brown stuff" anywhere near the house anymore!
That means I can integrate some of my hobby expenses into the weekly
grocery bill.
Roland F. Harriston
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AnaLog Services, Inc. wrote:
>
> Two completely different mineral acids you are talking about.
> Hydrochloric
> produces Chlorine gas, and I promise it will corrode things in the
> vacinity.
> Sulpuric is not as bad about corroding things near it, although take a
> look
> at the battery tray in an older vehicle for an example of what it can do.
> Neither is particularly dangeraos compared to say Hydrofluric acid; it is
> horrible and very dangerous (etches / dissolves glass, even).
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: Roland Harriston
> To: Homebrew_PCBs@yahoogroups.com <mailto:Homebrew_PCBs%40yahoogroups.com>
> Sent: Thursday, January 11, 2007 10:27 AM
> Subject: Re: [Homebrew_PCBs] "Muriatic Acid" Etymology
>
> Lez:
>
> If you happen to live in the southwest USA where there are lots
> of backyard swimming pools, you can find muriatic acid in
> the local supermarkets along with other pool maintenance
> supplies. Most of the local Ace Hardware stores can get
> muriatic acid for you if they don't already have it in stock.
> Also, a lot of construction and building supply emporiums
> like Home Depot stock muriatic acid, although they
> generally have it large plastic bottles, like one or five gallons.
> Ace Hardware stocks it in 1 quart plastic bottles in my area.
>
> And speaking of outgassing and corrosion: Consider the
> approximately 1 liter of sulphuric acid that almost everyone
> has sitting in the garage most of the time. I'm referring to
> the acid in your car battery, and car battery acid is much
> stronger (Baume) than domestic Muriatic acid. And besides
> some car batteries are vented!
>
> To date, I have not noticed any of my tools, electronic
> test equipment, photolab stuff being attacked by the
> gaseous products from batteries in the two cars
> residing in my garage, nor have I seen any ill-effects
> on the automobiles, paint, wiring, trim,etc.
>
> Personally, I detest Ferric Chloride....nasty stuff.
>
> Roland F. Harriston
>
>