# Home made nitric acid



## Refiner232121 (Jul 11, 2009)

http://www.wonderhowto.com/how-to/video/how-to-make-nitric-acid-278165/

In this video the fellow shows you how to make nitric acid in 3 different concentrations
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1) First method to make nitric acid
80 grams of a nitrate salt (sodium Nitrate,potasium nitrate, ammonium nitrate,even a nitrate 
based fertilizer)
2) add 50 ml of water to the nitrate salt
3) add 100ml conc. hydrochloric acid to your nitrate solution
4) 32 grams of copper in acid mixture

Here is the weak nitric acid

*************** Question 1 : Can this acid be used to make AR ******************
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1) Second method to make nitric acid
2) vacum flask with vacuum tube
3) Fill the glass with 80 grams of nitate salt
4) add 50 ml of water to the nitrate salt
5) 32 grams of copper in acid mixture
6) fill cylinder with 25ml of 35% hydorgen peroxide
7) add 100ml conc. hydrochloric acid to your nitrate solution


Here is the nitric acid still diute but stronger than before

*************** Question 2 : Can this acid be used to make AR ******************
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1) Third method to make nitric acid of 70% concentration
2) 50 grams of pure nitrate salt
3) add 100ml concentrated sulphuric acid to the nitrate salt

Here is the nitric acid of 70% concentration

*************** Question 3 : Can this acid be used to make AR ******************
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Question 4 : Is it worth it to make nitric acid.
Question 5 : He is showing us how to use aluminum to recycle copper,is this a good idea,fo remaking nitric acid


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## Platdigger (Jul 11, 2009)

In the first two, he is making forms of AR.

Why he adds the copper, I have no idea.

You can make a form of nitric by just disolving some sodium(potasium) nitrate in some battery acid. 
If you want to remove the sodium sulfate you will need to either chill, or distill.

What is it you need the nitric for?


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## Refiner232121 (Jul 11, 2009)

Hi Platdigger
For making Aqua regia to refine scrap gold


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## Platdigger (Jul 11, 2009)

If you don't have nitric, all you need to make a form of AR is a nitrate and HCL.


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## Refiner232121 (Jul 11, 2009)

How can I do that
Can you give me the formula


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## Noxx (Jul 13, 2009)

The presence of copper surprises me as well. Unless he wants to make Copper nitrate...


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## qst42know (Jul 13, 2009)

If you watch the video they are collecting the gases using copper to drive the reaction instead of heat. Dirty nitric contaminated with copper and HCL in the first two. The last is distilled from nitrate and sulfuric using heat.


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## lazersteve (Jul 13, 2009)

Since he's collecting the off gases (NOx) of the reaction in the first two, I think he would be best served just decomposing copper nitrate to CuO and NO2 via:

Decomposes: 2 Cu(NO3)2 → 2 CuO + 4 NO2 + O2
Nitric Reaction: 3NO2 + H2O → 2HNO3 + NO 

Of course this requires that he has copper nitrate on hand. Most of us here who dissolve silver and cement with copper have access to plenty of copper nitrate.

I agree that HCl and NaNO3 is best used as Poor Man's AR.

Steve


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## Refiner232121 (Jul 14, 2009)

Hi Folks 
I have come across these kinds of formulas before and I was not able to understand
I went on google and t he wiki to get the meaning but I was not able to 
Can someone give me a step by step explanation of these.

This is what I got when I typed in 3NO2
http://www.google.ca/search?hl=en&q=3NO2&meta=&btnG=Google+Search
Thanks

Decomposes: 2 Cu(NO3)2 → 2 CuO + 4 NO2 + O2
Nitric Reaction: 3NO2 + H2O → 2HNO3 + NO


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## Platdigger (Jul 14, 2009)

This I don't remember who posted. 

"I have a set formula for aqua regia using Nitate Soda/ Sodium Nitrate and Muratic acid. I use 8 oz of nitrate soda mixed with one cup plain hot water (H2O), make sure your water is about 130 to 150 F. This disolves the nitrate soda very well. Make sure you dont get the water too hot, because nitric acid has a very low boiling point, 83`C or 181.4`F. Then I mix with one quart of Hydrochloric acid. Stir well and mix, let it sit for about 3 to 5 minutes and a certain amount of salt will form and settle to the bottom of the container. I pour off the liquid and seperate the salt. A lot of folks dont. It is a personal prefence. Also I have found that it is very important that you want to balance the amount of Aqua regia to the amount of metal you want to disolve. I run about 150 grams of metal with forumla. This is very important." 

Also, a way that Steve uses is to only add the nitrate to hcl in small increments. Adding only enough to get the job done. Bit by bit as the reaction progresses.


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## Refiner232121 (Jul 14, 2009)

Platdigger

Thanks for that formula


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