HClO4

[Kats12]

Is this acid usable in PGM recovery?
It is a very nasty acid, difficult to work with...

 

[Anonymous]

This stuff makes Hydroflouric acid seem pleasant.If it is concentrated then you need to get rid of it FAST.Whether it can or cannot be used in the process of recovering precious metals is not the big question here.I think you need to ask yourself if you really want to chance using it.I personally would not touch it.If you add an organic compund and it becomes explosive.I am not aware of how difficult it is to get "traditional" chemicals in your country,however ever,even the traditional chemicals that we use here are extremely dangerous at best.
Just please be careful kats.

 

[Irons]

Perchloric Acid is extremely dangerous to work with. I have used it before in the past, but I wouldn't touch it now.

It's not a matter of if, it's just a matter of when.

Ordering Perchloric Acid will get you a lot of attention from the Authorities in this neck of the woods.

There are old Qualitative Analysis texts that call for it in procedures, but they also warn of how dangerous it can be.

 

[goldsilverpro]

When I was in the plating industry in L.A., I always heard stories about an explosion from perchloric acid taking out a city block. Here's a little more detail.

http://www.finishing.com/94/08.shtml

 

[jimdoc]

Another acid related incident;

http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/face/stateface/nj/02nj003.html

Don't know what type of acid caused this one.

Jim

 

[Irons]

Rocket Fuel plant explosion, Utah 1989 (Ammonium Perchlorate manufacturing)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_KuGizBjDXo

 

[Lou]

Unless it's anhydrous, it's tame and boringly so. Chief danger is spilling it on wood and forgetting then months later you have a problem. I'd still rather work with neat HClO4 over neat HF.

Keep it away from organics and never go above 70% and conc. HCl is worse.
No use in PM refining as most transition metal perchlorates are insoluble and/or readily decompose violently.

 

[Kats12]

Yep , just I thought so no use at all, except in pyrotechnics, and that is not of my interest...

Thanks for reply...

 

[Lou]

Well it's great for etching refractory metals like Nb, Zr, Hf, Ta, etc.

It's the strongest common acid, even more so than H2SO4.