# sulfuric acid drain cleaner?



## vincent (Feb 18, 2008)

I have a cell set up just as lasersteve shows in his video and it works fine but one thing troubles me. The only drain cleaner i could find doesn't specify the amount of sulfuric acid in it, all it reads is "virgin sulfuric acid and twelve buffers", it is alot darker and a little thicker in viscosity than the drain cleaner steve uses in his video. Will this be a problem when i go to filter and wash the gold out of the acid? anyone have any thoughts? Thanks for your help, Vince


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## lazersteve (Feb 18, 2008)

Vince,

Other guys have used it and it works, but it just a little dirty. If I remember correctly the kind you are talking about also makes a lot of foaming in the cell.

Steve


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## vincent (Feb 18, 2008)

Thanks Steve  yes it foams a little. this is my first cell. I'm amped! I also noticed some purple bubbles from some of the pins i read this color shows up at times is it good or bad? Does the lead ever stop bubbling?


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## EVO-AU (Feb 21, 2008)

Vince, I am not familiar with what you are doing, but if you want 100% sodium hydroxide, here are two sources. Thrift T1oo drain cleaner. I have been using this stuff ( 100 % pure ) for Ph buffering and for precipitating and on my ore it worked great. The other source is a product called Roebic at Lowes'. I just found this one today, so on the way home I'll stop by Lowes' and pick some up and see how it works.

Thrift costs about fifteen $'s per # and Roebic is advertised as $7.66 per 2# container. Well, we shall see.

Luck, EVO


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## banjags (Feb 21, 2008)

does anyone know what a comparable product in Canada would be? Or what drain openers are some Canadians using in their cells?


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## Gotrek (Feb 21, 2008)

banjags said:


> does anyone know what a comparable product in Canada would be? Or what drain openers are some Canadians using in their cells?



Go to Rona. There is a drain cleaner by SIP that contains Sulfuric as the main ingredient. Might want to dig up and MSDS for it to find concentration but I believe it's really high. I have the name on a piece of paper at home. It comes in 500ML bottle (maybe 1 L) white, plain label it's wrapped in plastic. Near the plumbing fittiings usually.

home depot has a similar bottled drain cleaner labelled as Ro-tyme (no longer Made) But it does not contain sulfuric acid. (Caustic Potash is listed as the main ingredient)

If you have connections to industrial/commercial cleaners you can get Lawrason's Drain Flush (34180) It's 60-100% sulfuric acid by volume according to the MSDS sheet


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## Irons (Feb 21, 2008)

I bought some sulfuric at ACE and the cashier followed me to my car so he could get my tag no.

I hope he doesn't spend the reward money before the check clears the bank. :twisted:

This country is turning into a bunch of snitches.

I guess because I had a beard, he thought I must be a Bubbatollah.


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## OMG (Feb 21, 2008)

Look for businesses that sell/refurbish batteries. Like Battery Doctor. I'm sure they will have lots of sulfuric acid. Just tell them what your doing and they'll probably be interested enough to give or sell you some.


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## Gotrek (Feb 21, 2008)

OMG said:


> Look for businesses that sell/refurbish batteries. Like Battery Doctor. I'm sure they will have lots of sulfuric acid. Just tell them what your doing and they'll probably be interested enough to give or sell you some.



As in Car batteries? banjags I've got 2-3 batteries I don't use if you want them.


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## banjags (Feb 21, 2008)

i might take you up on that gotrek. Just thinking out loud for a moment. Would old car batteries be a source of relative strong sulfuric. You know how an old battery is usually low on fluid. My guess would be that the water has evaporated over time. Could anyone re enforce this?


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## Gotrek (Feb 21, 2008)

banjags said:


> i might take you up on that gotrek. Just thinking out loud for a moment. Would old car batteries be a source of relative strong sulfuric. You know how an old battery is usually low on fluid. My guess would be that the water has evaporated over time. Could anyone re enforce this?



Mmm really old batteries would have nothing left in them. I can guarantee these have acid in them as I fried the paint on my 72 satellite accidently moving the battery last year 

We bought battery acid from napa a while back for an old 6 volt battery. And I'd bet a place like oilmart would sell it too.


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## kevin68311 (Feb 21, 2008)

Yes you can use battery acid.I use it in my cell.It is only 60% sulfuric acid.If you boil it down it will be 97% pure sulfuric.


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## Absolutsecurity (Feb 21, 2008)

I bought 5 gallons of battery electrolyte from Napa for around 30 dollars - when I find some time I will boil it down to 90+% - that sure beats drain cleaner!

Glynn


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## Anonymous (Feb 22, 2008)

This morning I purchased 5 gallons of sulfuric 98% for $42.00 and a 55 liter drum of nitric acid 70% for $2.79 a liter.

It's not the price of the acid that hurts, it's the hefty $800.00 deposit on the drum.

Too bad we could not open the drum of nitric banjags I would have gladly sold you a couple of liters.

It's going to take a bung wrench to open.

Gill


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## Anonymous (Feb 22, 2008)

kevin68311 said:


> Yes you can use battery acid.I use it in my cell.It is only 60% sulfuric acid.If you boil it down it will be 97% pure sulfuric.


Interesting that your not having any problems with your processing cell - used battery acid would be contaminated with antimony from the lead plates.

I would think the antimony would migrate into your gold.


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## Anonymous (Feb 22, 2008)

OMG said:


> Look for businesses that sell/refurbish batteries. Like Battery Doctor. I'm sure they will have lots of sulfuric acid. Just tell them what your doing and they'll probably be interested enough to give or sell you some.


I have not see a real battery shop in years, one where they actually cut the case open, cleaned out the sediment trap, replaced the separators etc etc. These days it is considered refurbished when a guy in a white shop coat adds a package of chemical to rejuvenate the battery.


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## Smitty (Feb 22, 2008)

Is it ok to use Liquid Fire? It's only ingredient listed is condensed Sulfuric Acid. It's almost like maple syrup. It's dark brown and slightly thinner than syrup though. I cannot see thru the glass dish after pouring in the Acid. Are there any contaminants I should be concerned about. It does work in the stripping cell.


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## Gotrek (Feb 25, 2008)

The drain cleaner at Rona is called

Zonk Plus made by Sip co out of Delta BC

it's 85% H2SO4


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