License for nitric acid in Europe.

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Richard NL

Well-known member
Joined
May 31, 2012
Messages
98
Location
Netherlands
I got my license for using nitric acid >|3% as a private individual.
My experience with the license application.

Good-day everyone,

When in 2015, the employee of the local authorities was at the front door with a complaint about odor nuisance from a gas bottle wood burner, he took pictures of my homemade wood burner and the self-made flue gas/chimney in my garage and on the roof .
It has also been found that a fume hood with filter and a large-capacity fan was present.
These I use for precious metals waste recycling and then purifying the precious metals with hydrometallurgy.
This was the reason to call in an expert from a independent company to judge if everything was correct.
His conclusion was that everything was okay and that I used the same processes as the big companies only on a small scale, especially my wastewater, he had the necessary questions about.

Laws change and I also use HNO₃.
http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:32013R0098&from=NL
The possibilities were for me:
Give up my hobby.
I still have too much fun, and put in too much time and energy in it, and it would really hurt to stop it.
Staying under the government's radar, that is stressful.
Switching to alternatives, there are actually no real substitute for nitric acid and the materials I work with.
With the consultation with a forum member from another forum, we had decided to apply for a license for nitric acid.

The 35% hydrogen peroxide I owned, I diluted it to just under 12%.
In practice, I usually have to dilute it anyway.
It is mainly used to oxidize NOx so that the NOx becomes more soluble in water.

Concentration of the substance in Weight percentage I have used the following:
http://goldrefiningforum.com/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=48&t=17074#p267466
http://www.handymath.com/cgi-bin/nitrictble2.cgi?submit=Entry

On the application form itself the text:
To use as a selective solvent for metals.
To use as a silver nitrate solution for electrolysis of Silver.
To use as a testing solvent.

"Substantiation, why there is no alternative available".
On the application form itself the text:
It's more dangerous to me!
The waste liquid (contaminated with heavy metals) will increase to ±tenfold.
There is no (reasonable) alternative available from a supplier.
I would also like to continue my study as a autodidact in practice.

Attached:
My underlying reason why the use of the requested precursor is not a reasonable alternative available, to achieve a similar effect with my hobby hydrometallurgy specializing in gold silver and to a lesser extent the platinum group metals.

The reason I need the higher (+3% m\m) concentration of HNO₃:
#1 To keep my amount of waste water within proportions!
You have ±1.17 ml. 70% HNO₃ and 1.17 ml. H₂O fore 1 gram of pure silver to dissolve in an aqueous environment.
±70/3=23,⅓ ml. Instead of 2,⅓ ml. at a solution of 3% m/m HNO₃.
This is a ±tenfold increase in wastewater that I have to clean again.
For base metals (copper, nickel, tin, chromium, vanadium, etc.), the double amount of HNO3 also means the double amount of waste water.
For clarification for 1 gram of metallic copper, you have ±4.68 ml. 35% HNO₃ required.
When using 3% m/m HNO₃, I don't need to dilute it, but I have ±46.68 ml. required.

#2 Reactivity becomes very slow when metal dissolves.
It is common to heat the liquid.
And then add the reagent in small doses to prevent unwanted exothermic reactions.
When using HNO₃ 3% m\m, this will no longer be logical to dilute it further by adding in advance distilled water.
There will hardly be exothermic reaction, and if it does get there it is most likely to boil over.
A delayed exothermic reaction is something that must be avoided.
Therefore, it is also a reason to heat it,and to ad small dose of HNO₃ then the chance off boil over is reduced.

#3 When purifying silver by means of electrolysis I have to start with a ±minimum percentage of 75 grams of silver per liter, this is not possible with a solution of HNO₃3% m/m.
Or I will have to partially evaporate it, but in situ there will be more than HNO₃ 3% m/m present, which is officially not allowed.

#4 Upon extraction of metallic gold in warm aqua regia, with a small amount of metallic silver as an alloy.
The silver chloride released by this dilute 3% m/m HNO₃ to a greater extent be released from the liquid before all is dissolved, and to a greater extent also stop the extraction as a silver chloride coating.
This silver chloride must be removed afterwards with ammonia which immediately receives a Ph reduction.
The waste liquid of this operation is more difficult to clean with the ammonium metal compounds.
Therefore, I want to minimize this.
Also, when this silver chloride is on the bottom of the glass cup as a sediment.
There are temperature differences in the bottom of the glassware, the risk of glass fracture is greater, thus also more likely to occur a accident.
Also the separation of the metals becomes less, so more rinses and more waste water (with ammonium metal compounds).

5# I have already stocked a supply, as it was recommended on some websites.
I just want to use it legitimately now!

#6 In the extracting metallic gold to gold chloride you want to use a small excess of nitric acid.
To make sure that there is no gold left in the materials to be extracted.
One should evaporate this liquid into a syrupy liquid to extract the excess nitric acid from this liquid.
This is necessary to enable the precipitation of metallic gold later.
When using 3% m\m HNO₃, the amount of liquid to be evaporated will go to unrealistic quantities.

7# We also have human rights here. Https://goo.gl/fznna3
I am obstructed with my freedom to develop and learn.
As an autodidact, I can also expect some practice in my study.

8# At this low concentration, it is no longer possible to test clearly where a solution, precipitate, metal, etc. consists of.
The consequence: risks of incorrect procedures, which could result in dangerous situations.
And evidently more more waste to be expected.

9# I deepened myself.
My library, the public section what I could upload (copyright infringement free).
Https://www.scribd.com/user/239055538/Richard-NL

10# There is no reasonable alternative available, technical nitric acid 3% m/m.
Well, nitric acid 3% m/m for diagnostics/analysis/research and so on.
But considering price and qualitative this does not apply.
Https://goo.gl/f6sY1H
Https://goo.gl/P4h4wF
Https://goo.gl/bCS0x7
Https://goo.gl/iPHYpp

On the application form point3.2. Basis of the quantities to be used.

Firstly, I want to report that I own 20 liters of nitric acid 60%.
There is no question in the pdf that I have to fill in the quantity i already possess.
I'm asked "Required quantity (about total period in kg)" which I estimated roughly 10 liters in 2 years.
Specific gravity at 20 ° Celsius 1.3667
Grams/cm³*1000cm³=1.3667 kg/liter.
1.3667Kg/Liter*10 Liter=13,667Kg
The amounts to be used are hard to estimate!
It depends partly on my variable number of hours/days that I work.
"Explanation of family situation with me, and limited time"
In addition, I have another hobby, driving and maintenance of older cars.
So I usually have my available time for this hobby to schedule ad-hoc as far as possible.
Therefore, it is difficult to determine a certain consumption per unit of time.

At the time of obtaining the license in Utrecht, there was a conversation with the 2 gentlemen.
They reported to my, that I was the first private person in the Netherlands with a license for hobby use of nitric acid, then I also understood why there was no experience in the Netherlands with this license for a hobby!
I also asked how far I can publish on forums about the license.
They thought it was oké to publish.
There was only one more request for fuming nitric acid, to etch metal by an artist who was logically rejected.
They also said to me that I'm an example of why they have license system for individuals available in the Netherlands.

Final conclusion for me:
This information in this post would be helpful to me if I should or would like to apply for this license for the first time.
Someone who has experience with this license would greatly simplify the process.
It's a relief for my peace of mind that I have this license.
Should there be any problems in the future for some reason for my hobby then the government has already done the necessary research and everything was in order by independent experts.

If there are any questions or concerns, I would like to hear that.

Best regards,
Richard.
 
Thanks for sharing, it will be a good start for any one else seeking permission in the EU.

A year or two ago there was a guy applying for permission to use nitric acid here in Sweden, but his application was denied. I think it was mostly on the grounds that he was going to store it in his apartment as he didn't have any suitable storage space.

Göran
 
For those who may not know, Richard had to use a translator to convert that all from his native tongue to English for us all.

Thank you for the effort! 8)

Dave
 
Thank you for the nice replays.


For those who can read Dutch, here is the Dutch thread: http://www.amateurchemie.nl/viewtopic.php?f=11&t=1814

A translator alone won't do the trick.
Quoted Dave, from english to dutch translation back to english.
"For those who may not know, Richard should use a translator to convert everything from his mother tongue to English for us all."
That's not what Dave said!
Thus translating becomes a great time consuming puzzle.
It's a pity that there is a language barrier.

Back to topic, Are there any more people with experience concerning the license application for explosives precursors?
http://goldrefiningforum.com/phpBB3/search.php?st=0&sk=t&sd=d&sr=posts&keywords=license+nitric
It looks like that only justinhcase has a business licenses for nitric acid in Europe.
But what about those who want to apply for a license, but are afraid to lose everything.
Just in case it backfires on them.
If you want help?

I'm happy that i can give something back to GRF.

Best regards,
Richard.
 
Wow, I am so sorry to hear of these rules in the EU.

I knew of their hatred (perhaps rightfully so) for HF.

It is a shame that an area that was responsible for many great chemists is now so anti-science/home innovation that one needs to get a license for such simple things.

What next, you need a license for petrol because it has toluene in it?
 
Richard NL said:
Thank you for the nice replays.



Back to topic, Are there any more people with experience concerning the license application for explosives precursors?
http://goldrefiningforum.com/phpBB3/search.php?st=0&sk=t&sd=d&sr=posts&keywords=license+nitric
It looks like that only justinhcase has a business licenses for nitric acid in Europe.
But what about those who want to apply for a license, but are afraid to lose everything.
Just in case it backfires on them.
If you want help?

I'm happy that i can give something back to GRF.

Best regards,
Richard.
There is no Business licence for nitric acid.
If you run a business and need the precursor for your trade you simply order it.
But running any business has legal ramifications and responsibilities, mostly tax.
They are more interested in your accountancy and the financial chain than your use of small quantitys of chemicals.
 
Thanks for the links Richard, I found a couple of books I have been wanting to read.
 
Lou said:
I knew of their hatred (perhaps rightfully so) for HF.
I still can buy HF, (to tell the difference between zirconia versus diamond).
But I do not dare (Thanks for all the warnings about HF on GRF)
Same supplier a red bar for nitric acid and hydrogen peroxide saying: "PAY ATTENTION! As of September 2014, this product may no longer be delivered to private individuals".

If something is banned, it is surrounded by a certain mystique!
Maybe it becomes more attractive for the youth to do more chemistry.
We don't know how the future is going to be.
Lou said:
What next, you need a license for petrol because it has toluene in it?
They don't need to put a license system on it, you cannot buy concentrated nitric acid as a private individual.
If you are thinking of that route.

The government's works with theories.
In theory the theory is theoretically correct, but that is only a hypothesis!
I guess that's just thinking "theoretically speaking" out loud.

justinhcase said:
There is no Business license for nitric acid.
Thank you for clarifying this.
Maybe I'm the only one in Europe with a license for using nitric acid >|3% as a private individual.

Shark said:
Thanks for the links Richard, I found a couple of books I have been wanting to read.
If you, or someone else having trouble with the site scribd.com (not showing full content, wanting money, register)
I need to find another way to give it to you all for free.
And to use on my mobile phone without to download that much pdf's.

Best regards,
Richard.
 
Hi Richard

It's possible to get one as an individual in the UK, and people do have them. Your explanation makes the application process so much simpler for people applying. :D

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/licensing-for-home-users-of-explosives-precursors/licensing-for-home-users-of-poisons-and-explosive-precursors
 
anachronism said:
Hi Richard

It's possible to get one as an individual in the UK, and people do have them.
Your explanation makes the application process so much simpler for people applying. :D
Hi Jon,
I'm happy that my explanation is useful for others :p .
If someone else can give a reason why they need >3% HNO₃, feel free to post here!

Best regards,
 
It truly is a shame, that honest people cannot perform chemistry without being looked at like some meth head or terrorist, and government controls or their taxes nip in the bud, their own blooming scientist.
And the same free governments are just biting themselves in the foot, do they not realize science and scientific minds of their people has been to a major part why they are free, or why they are not slaves themselves to others.

Seems everything is going backwards or out of control nowadays.
Maybe I am just becoming a grumpy old man, born a century late.

Good Job Richard NL
Thanks for sharing.
 
You ain't the only one brother. They don't want the free thinkers or spirited individual. It's a threat. The cornerstone of true freedom is individualism. That's why everybody has to be part of a group socially now. It's part of the programming. The complex want's to control all the intellect for the establishment. All the other is canon fodder. I'm getting to deep now ! :mrgreen:

Here's a question i will leave you with. How many true geniuses, scholars. philosophers, and artist do you think have be medicated out of existence with this crazy over use of medications on children? ADHD! I actually had a teacher tell me last year that my 9 year old focused to hard. She then went on to tell me that this was an early sign of ADHD and i should talk with the school nurse and have him tested. Yeah right! I thought to my self wow! My kid was number 2 in his class in grades! Reckon how they would diagnose someone today like Einstein, Tesla, or hundreds of others. I could go on and on with examples of this crazy ass society we live in today.
But i won't! :D
 
The teachers told Einstein he was an idiot, that was in his days, now we are all idiots if we can still think for ourselves.
I cannot put words to my thoughts as well as you can Palladium, and even if I could I would probably be banned from this forum I love so much.
I agree with you 100% on this but will leave it there before I do get banned.
 
butcher said:
It truly is a shame, that honest people cannot perform chemistry without being looked at like some meth head or terrorist, and government controls or their taxes nip in the bud, their own blooming scientist.
And the same free governments are just biting themselves in the foot, do they not realize science and scientific minds of their people has been to a major part why they are free, or why they are not slaves themselves to others.
Who has ever told you or me, that we are free?
Like this forum you are free to post whatever ever you like, but you must obey the rules.
butcher said:
Seems everything is going backwards or out of control nowadays.
Maybe I am just becoming a grumpy old man, born a century late.
A century ago the same problems!
If there is a society, there are rules!
With the rules there are people who don't like the rules!

butcher said:
Good Job Richard NL
Thanks for sharing.
Thank you, I'm glad I could help
 
Palladium said:
You ain't the only one brother. They don't want the free thinkers or spirited individual. It's a threat. The cornerstone of true freedom is individualism. That's why everybody has to be part of a group socially now. It's part of the programming. The complex want's to control all the intellect for the establishment. All the other is canon fodder. I'm getting to deep now ! :mrgreen:
The first signs of a change in society has already started. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G6JGYRodNeA
Palladium said:
Here's a question i will leave you with. How many true geniuses, scholars. philosophers, and artist do you think have be medicated out of existence with this crazy over use of medications on children? ADHD! I actually had a teacher tell me last year that my 9 year old focused to hard. She then went on to tell me that this was an early sign of ADHD and i should talk with the school nurse and have him tested. Yeah right! I thought to my self wow! My kid was number 2 in his class in grades! Reckon how they would diagnose someone today like Einstein, Tesla, or hundreds of others. I could go on and on with examples of this crazy ass society we live in today.
But i won't! :D
The medication Methylphenidate makes you focus more on one task.
To visualize it somewhat:without medication, you drive with your car on the inland roads without mirrors and no means of navigation.
You will soon discover something new and think about new things.
But it takes a lot more energy.
And the chances of something happening (accident) and a lot of misery is many times bigger per mile.
With medication you drive on the highway with mirrors and navigation and thus a lot more relaxing.
The few things you do, go a lot better per mile.


If Albert Einstein had used this medication, he probably would have developed E = MC² in such a way that we should know it now differently.
So we do not see time as a straight line but as a wave motion.
Then he might have made it clear to us what happened under that wave and not just in 2 dimensions.
How much has not changed in history after "3 days", including even E = MC²?
EintsteinQuestionEverything.png
 
butcher said:
The teachers told Einstein he was an idiot, that was in his days, now we are all idiots if we can still think for ourselves.
They laugh at him because he is different; he laugh at them because they're all the same.
butcher said:
I cannot put words to my thoughts as well as you can Palladium, and even if I could I would probably be banned from this forum I love so much.
I agree with you 100% on this but will leave it there before I do get banned.
Please, don't ban yourself!
And the rest of us!

If you laughed, then you are not a grumpy old man.
If you did not, do I get banned?
 
Richard NL.
I do not see this as political or religious, although there are connections, as with everything in life as I see it.

We come from two different countries but we live in the same world, our experiences are different, even in my country.

I came from a different place and time than most did in my own country. I grew up poor in the Appalachian mountains of Kentucky, where they lived as they had since the1800's, no electricity, no running water, no plumbing or toilet, hunting and growing your own food sharing the cow with your neighbor or even the food or tools, no law enforcement besides your own or your neighbors...

We are free as long as we can think and act for ourselves, even if we were on long chains, freedom is a state of mind (in my opinion), not where you are.
or if you can have some control over your own mind or soul.

Moral men need no rules, rules or laws are to keep the immoral in line or to keep them from harming others, or to control a people, or to enslave them under a government power. Trouble is, there are alway's bad men (or men who evil has control over, so the moral man makes rules, there is no problem with that, it is only when immoral men or governments make rules to control or enslave the moral man that it becomes a problem.

Moral men have no problem with the simple rules of doing to your neighbor as you would have them do to you, rules that protect them or their neighbors, just like the forum most all who stay and follow the simple rules of the forum do not really mind Not cursing for their time here, as they see the benefits to the forum and themselves. They also are not being controlled by a government
A century ago men carried their own law enforcement in a holster on their hip.

But of course all through the history of man everywhere, we have always had good and bad, and it will always be here, thus we will always need some kind of rules, it is only when those rules begin to become immoral themselves, that we must as moral men stand up and fight against the injustice, and die or be banned for principle's sake, or be banned and die under injustice.

It is a clever illusion of evil, that makes a drug seem, to help you see better, or to think better, or have rear view mirrors as you put it, the mirrors are not there, you do not see what is behind you, it is just a trick of the illusion and the evil behind it.

Trouble is most all of us are hypnotized by the evil and do not even realize it and then there are those who are just complete zombies to it.

Evil is a master of deception, and we get hypnotized by it with our own actions. "The sins of the fathers are passed to their sons".

Richard, if we were sitting and having coffee together and I hit you on the arm and gave you a big bruise, (whether I have done it as a joke, or by accident or for some other reason).

You could react in a couple of different ways since you know me you may just feel that pain in your arm grab your arm and rub it, and later that afternoon you would forget all about it. the next day you are getting ready to bath, and notice the bruise, thinking to your self where did that bruise come from? And then remember the incident, but have no more reaction. you only felt the pain once.
No evil gets inside you or hypnotizes you.

But, if you were in the restaurant and a complete stranger hit you in the arm (by accident or on purpose), you would feel the pain in your arm, but you would also feel something else (resentment- to feel twice) {not sure what language may be Greek}). An anger or hatred would rise inside you, (opening the door to let that evil in hypnotizing you). Who in the H LL does that SOB think he is, I ought to kick his arse... you will no longer have control of your own mind, all you can think about is that SOB (even if it was only an accident) you judge him as god (little g, or from the ego, being as god yourself), then for the rest of your life you could be under control of that evil, or will become the wimp of it or become it yourself, being a bully...


Say a father beats and mistreats his son, (as his father did to him) the son loves the father, but also hates him, for what he does, the son says to himself all his years of growing up, he will never do that to his kids when he grows up, and commits all of his will not to, but because the son feels the pain twice (resentment) the evil that is in the Father will rise in him also (no matter how hard he tries to fight it) (hypnotized), yet the son has one small hope or shield, and that small hope is to forgive his father. Not with his breath or his will, as he cannot change one hair on his head colors, or can he forgive his father with his mind, but only with his heart, by realizing his father was not in control of himself, (no more than the son with his children), he must forgive his father with his soul and his heart, forgive him he knows not what he does (hypnotized by his reaction to the evil).

A young girl is molested, she feels the pain twice, she will grow up promiscuous, the evil enters.

Soldiers come home from the war, deeply affected by the trauma they have experienced...

A young woman was raped by a man with a black hat, for the rest of her life walking down the street. Fear rises (out of the blue) inside of her being, and she does not know why, but unconsciously every time a black hat comes into her Peripheral vision, a monster rises inside her.She feels the pain again.

A daughter has hatred of the father's unjust hatred of another race (prejudice), the daughter will not be prejudice and commits herself to this, she unconsciously marries the other race.

A prejudice man has an extreme hatred of another race, all he thinks of is going to bed with their women.

Men revolt against their dictator or corrupt government they hated so, (resentment they feel the pain twice), Hypnotized by the evil later after winning the revolution, they become even worse than the dictators they fought, after the revolution, the cycle goes on.

Americans revolted against taxation without representation, the government taxes today are not representative to what we get. it goes on.

The world suffers from hypnotism we all do, you do, I do, it in our homes, our schools, our churches, our governments...

We are not bound by chains, we are not free, we actually are not even in control of our minds, as we think we are, our chains are (our own minds and souls), that we cannot break without understanding. Either not feeling the pain twice, or with forgiveness and understanding of that which we do not understand.

You think you have control of your mind? Try sitting still for 30 minutes, with your eyes closed, pick a part of your body, say your toes, concentrate on the toes of your right foot, keep your mind on them do not let thoughts distract you or your concentration on that part of your body, you will find thoughts rise (not your own) which you have no control of, you cannot or do not have control, you cannot keep your mind focused, when you realize you do not have control and your mind, that it is, focused on yesterday, or tomorrow or some other place. Bring your mind back to the here and now with your focus back to your own body, watch the thoughts as they rise or take control of your mind even against your will.

Also wars are fought, (revolutions, religious and other wars are fought) our sons and fathers die because of our lack of forgiveness or our ability to control our own minds, basically because we feel twice, or judge and hate, even the just fight against injustice if not careful becomes an unjust fight in the end if we are not careful and have at least a little bit of understanding.



In my opinion, Einstein was not laughed at or told he was an idiot because he was different we are all different, he just could not learn the way the teachers taught, he thought for himself, and could not be hypnotized out of his common sense or brainwashed out of his own mind, like some others he could actually see the simple things, and them for what they were, he was the mirror that showed them their ugly reflection and they hated him for it.

Hypnotizing our population and our youth (with and without drugs is not the answer.
drugs do not help you see in the rear view mirror you can only see with a clear mind that is not in the future or in the past, but with your mind in the here and now,

Well, I have been burning my candles at both ends and the middle, so I could just be rambling on with another bunch of nonsense, or something to ponder upon.

hypnotizing our population and our youth (with and without drugs is not the answer.
drugs do not help you see in the rear view mirror you can only see with a clear mind that is not in the future or in the past, but with your mind in the here and now.
 
Well worded Butcher. Very well worded. I'm completely in your camp on this. As an aside, when we are told what we can and cannot find funny it's the start of the rocky road to social engineering and the destruction of free speech. Strangely enough if you want to know who IS in control on a global scale then work out who you cannot criticise and the answer becomes clear. 8)
 
butcher said:
Richard NL.


I came from a different place and time than most did in my own country. I grew up poor in the Appalachian mountains of Kentucky, where they lived as they had since the1800's, no electricity, no running water, no plumbing or toilet, hunting and growing your own food sharing the cow with your neighbor or even the food or tools, no law enforcement besides your own or your neighbors...

I knew their was something i really really liked about you. My family ( Great grandparents ) come from the coal mining region of W.V. My great grandfather was both a moon shiner as well as the sheriff of his county back in the 1930's. It was a different time back then in the Appalachian mountains. Grand paw actually went down to Cherokee North Carolina and bought great grand maw off the Indian reservation from her father and brought her back to W.V. and made her his wife. I remember as a kid we had a out house and the only way we had running water was from a pipe we had run about 1/4 mile up the holler and stuck into a spring we had built up with rocks. The water flowed down hill and ran straight into the window into the sink which ran all the time. Their was no police, none was needed as people morally policed themselves. That's one of the problems with society today! We are told it's not our job to correct others behavior that we should just let the gov. handle that. Gov. is the answer for all that ails society we are lead to believe. A little mountain justice would go along way in fixing society today! I miss my roots and i'm afraid that today's generation has no idea what it's like to over come adversity in the face of over whelming odds. To may Snow flakes today! Hell just the fact that i'm still alive is a testament in and of itself. I can skin a buck, i can run a trot line, a mountain boy can survive!
 
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