Nitric Acid in Various Products - As Fertilizer, Cleaning Compound As Well As in Explosives

Heard of TNT, nitroglycerine and Semtex? What docleaning. However, also due to the fact that this
they have in common? If you are not really familiarsame compound is highly corrosive and highly
with chemicals, the one compound that is present inhazardous, its application as a cleaning agent must be
these or is a derivative of - is nitric acid.handled with extreme caution.
Nitric acid is extremely harmful. It is highly corrosive,In brewery, it is used to remove inorganic deposits
strongly reactive, a powerful oxidizer and a poison.and beerstone. This ternary acid also has effective
As a matter of fact, the material safety data sheetantimicrobial properties even when used in more
states that it has an extreme health rating of 4stable, less dangerous solutions with phosphoric acid.
which means it is a poison; a severe reactivity ratingIt is also used to clean ICP-MS cones in glass making
of 3 due to its strong oxidizing properties; and anbut proper attention must be given in the
extreme contact rating of 4 which signifies itsconcentration of the acid in the cleaning solution. Also,
corrosive capacities.the frequency could be as seldom as once a month
Nonetheless, it is also because of these propertiesto avoid corrosion of the metals.
which make this acid very valuable in many variousNitric Acid In Explosives
applications. It is very important in esterification andNitric acid is extremely reactive and, in it pure form,
nitration processes of organic substances as well ascan be very unstable. Trinitrotoluene (TNT) and
in the manufacture of fertilizers, plastics, dyes,nitroglycerin are two very explosive derivatives of
nitrates, sulfuric acid, and as mention earlier,nitric acid.
explosives. It is also widely used in the waterTNT is the result of three nitrogen dioxide groups
treatment, reprocessing of used nuclear fuels as welladded to toluene. It contains stable and strongly
as cleaning and plating of metal surfaces.bonded carbon, oxygen and nitrogen compound so
Nitric Acid In Fertilizersthat when it is ignited, it releases a lot of energy.
Ammonium nitrate, an excellent fertilizer component,And as a result of this closely grouped together nitro
is made by mixing ammonia and nitric acid. It is onegroups, TNT is an unstable chemical.
of the basic chemical ingredients in the fertilizerNitroglycerin, on the other hand, is the nitric acid
industry. As a matter of fact, approximately 80% oftriester of glycerol. Same as TNT, a glycerin molecule
the chemical is used for fertilizer production.has three nitrate groups bonded to a hydrocarbon
However, excessive use of fertilizers and their runofffragment. This more common used in the production
results to eutrophication of our waterways causesof dynamite and in its full strength is comparable to
environmental degradation and poses a huge threatmore powerful explosives developed today such as
to plant and animal life. Eutrophication is the nutrientC-4 and RDX.
overload in bodies of water which trigger algal bloomsThis acid is a very dangerous chemical although it can
and other plants to grown out of control. Thisbe quite stable when handled properly and stored in
phenomenon uses up almost all available dissolvedsafe conditions. Always follow label directions and
oxygen in the water while robbing other plants andpractice safety measures when dealing with nitric
animals of oxygen.acid. Despite its explosive, corrosive and strongly
Nitric Acid As Cleaning Agentreactive capacities, it is a key chemical in many
Because of its strong acidic properties, it is used forindustrial applications precisely because of these very
serious and deep cleaning processes such as those insame properties.
the food, pharmaceuticals, health, and industrial