Nitric acid HNO₃
Nitric acid is used in the plastics industry, in the chemical industry for the production of mineral fertilizers; in the chemical industry in nitration processes, for the production of dyes; in the food industry for cleaning apparatus and equipment made of acid-resistant steel and in horticulture for acidification of the substrate.
CAS number
7697-37-2
EC Number
231-714-2
Chemical formula
HNO₃
ADR
Yes
Physical form
Colorless liquid
Uses of nitric acid
HNO₃
Important, easily soluble salts, nitrates, esters (e.g. nitroglycerin), and nitro compounds (e.g. trinitrotoluene) are obtained from nitric acid. All these compounds are oxidizing agents and tend to decompose rapidly, more or less explosively.
In amateur conditions, it is suitable for etching printed circuits (it does not leave any troublesome impurities that arise when etching with ferric chloride, and etching with nitric acid is much faster).
As an oxidizer of fuels, including hypergolic fuels. Typically in the form of red fuming nitric acid (obtained by adding 13-15% nitrogen tetroxide to white fuming nitric acid) with the addition of e.g. 0.6% hydrogen fluoride to reduce the corrosive effect.
In analytical chemistry for the detection of proteins in the xanthoprotein reaction.
In the pharmaceutical industry.
For cleaning metal surfaces, e.g. cleaning food industry equipment in the CIP process.
For obtaining dyes, varnishes, artificial fertilizers, plastics.
