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What is AcidMagic?

2014-07-12 by qz9090@...

I was recently reading an article on making PCBs and it was recommend that Muratic Acid or AcidMagic be used as an etchant. I know that Muriatic Acid is HCl but what is AcidMagic? Is it as potentially dangerous and/or harmful to the environment?

Thanks.

Frank P.

Re: What is AcidMagic?

2014-07-12 by beefyzee@...

Hi Frank,

no idea what AcidMagic actually is but as far as Muriatic Acid goes, mixed with hydrogen peroxide, it's dynamite for etching. Do some searches here for both of them, I think you'll find several threads on it.

I bought some 35% hydrogen peroxide from a chemical supplier (tried 3%, nothing happened) and a cheap gallon of builders muriatic acid. Just add enough hydrogen peroxide to "activate" the muriatic acid and get it etching good. Previously I used ammonium persulphate, but won't go back after trying the above. My boards are etched in under 2 mins and are nice, but my mixture has probably an overkill of hydrogen peroxide added, it's bubbling and fizzing from the start. You can keep the mixture and just add a bit of hydrogen peroxide next time to reactivate it, providing the acid hasn't "worn out".

Do it outdoors though, due to the fumes. Also muriatic acid fumes make steel flash rust so don't have it near any metal you don't want going rusty.

Keep hydrogen peroxide in the fridge or even freezer I heard, wrapped in foil to block off light, and move it as little as possible. This helps it last a long time I was told by the chemical supplier.

Keith.

Re: [Homebrew_PCBs] Re: What is AcidMagic?

2014-07-12 by Bill Maxwell

Sounds like something you might pressured to buy at a late party but at my age, I doubt it would be Magic enough!

On 12/07/2014 2:42 PM, beefyzee@... [Homebrew_PCBs] wrote:

Hi Frank,

no idea what AcidMagic actually is but as far as Muriatic Acid goes, mixed with hydrogen peroxide, it's dynamite for etching. Do some searches here for both of them, I think you'll find several threads on it.

I bought some 35% hydrogen peroxide from a chemical supplier (tried 3%, nothing happened) and a cheap gallon of builders muriatic acid. Just add enough hydrogen peroxide to "activate" the muriatic acid and get it etching good. Previously I used ammonium persulphate, but won't go back after trying the above. My boards are etched in under 2 mins and are nice, but my mixture has probably an overkill of hydrogen peroxide added, it's bubbling and fizzing from the start. You can keep the mixture and just add a bit of hydrogen peroxide next time to reactivate it, providing the acid hasn't "worn out".

Do it outdoors though, due to the fumes. Also muriatic acid fumes make steel flash rust so don't have it near any metal you don't want going rusty.

Keep hydrogen peroxide in the fridge or even freezer I heard, wrapped in foil to block off light, and move it as little as possible. This helps it last a long time I was told by the chemical supplier.

Keith.

Re: [Homebrew_PCBs] What is AcidMagic?

2014-07-12 by Stefan Trethan

AcidMagic is HCl buffered with unknown ingredients to reduce fuming.

ST

On Sat, Jul 12, 2014 at 5:09 AM, qz9090@... [Homebrew_PCBs] <Homebrew_PCBs@yahoogroups.com> wrote:

I was recently reading an article on making PCBs and it was recommend that Muratic Acid or AcidMagic be used as an etchant. I know that Muriatic Acid is HCl but what is AcidMagic? Is it as potentially dangerous and/or harmful to the environment?

Thanks.

Frank P.

Re: What is AcidMagic?

2014-07-14 by qz9090@...

Stefan,
Do you think AcidMagic would perform as well as Muriatic acid for etching purposes? The reason why I ask is that I don't do a lot of etching and Muriatic acid tends to be sold in meduim/large size boxes. Not wanting to store a lot of HCl for a long period of time, I thought I might try AcidMagic, since it comes in smaller (maybe 16 fl.oz.) bottles.

Thanks.

Re: What is AcidMagic?

2014-07-14 by qz9090@...

Since Muriatic acid is hydrocloric acid, I really don't want to store the stuff over a long period of time. I don't do a lot of etching so I would have it "laying around" a long time.

If I could get smaller quantities of Muriatic Acid, maybe 12oz in size, I might try your method but I have not had any luck. HomeDepot sells the stuff for swimming pools in medium./large boxes.

Thanks for the input, though.

Re: [Homebrew_PCBs] Re: What is AcidMagic?

2014-07-14 by Stefan Trethan

I believe it would work just fine, it would not be fit for many other purposes if it was not fit for etching PCBs.

ST

On Mon, Jul 14, 2014 at 8:13 PM, qz9090@... [Homebrew_PCBs] <Homebrew_PCBs@yahoogroups.com> wrote:

Stefan,
Do you think AcidMagic would perform as well as Muriatic acid for etching purposes? The reason why I ask is that I don't do a lot of etching and Muriatic acid tends to be sold in meduim/large size boxes. Not wanting to store a lot of HCl for a long period of time, I thought I might try AcidMagic, since it comes in smaller (maybe 16 fl.oz.) bottles.

Thanks.

Re: [Homebrew_PCBs] Re: What is AcidMagic?

2014-07-15 by Peter Johansson

On Mon, Jul 14, 2014 at 2:13 PM, qz9090@... [Homebrew_PCBs] <Homebrew_PCBs@yahoogroups.com> wrote:

> Do you think AcidMagic would perform as well as Muriatic acid for etching purposes? The reason why I ask is that I don't do a lot of etching and Muriatic acid tends to be sold in meduim/large size boxes. Not wanting to store a lot of HCl for a long period of time, I thought I might try AcidMagic, since it comes in smaller (maybe 16 fl.oz.) bottles.

You will probably pay more for 16 oz of AcidMagic than a gallon of muriatic acid. The best way to avoid fumes is to do a CuCl2 etch rather than an acid etch.

-p.