Source of nitric acid. (Ontario, Canada)

[Patrick_R]

Hey all. Please keep in mind this is for refiners in southern Ontario. After closing my lab for a couple years I am getting the itch to re open it. In my efforts to do so I have been contacting various people to get nitric acid again. Very sadly Efston Scientific is closed. I found a place in Mississauga that sells 1l bottles (15%) for $10-20.

Our address is 2133 Unit#4 Royal Windsor drive, Mississauga.
We are open Mon-Fri 10am-6pm & Sat 10am-4pm.

It's called Second Nature. It's a hydroponic supplier.

I haven't used any of the acid I bought yet. I will probably reduce the volume to increase the strength depending on my future needs.

If anyone wants more information please let me know and I'll do my best to provide it.

 

[RicXX]

Im going to be looking for another supplyer myself soon, new price is close to $95/4L bottle of 70%... I have spoken to a couple of other guys and they are able to get larger quantities for less... Maybe those of us in Ontario need to get together and do a bulk buy and split it up (I have a lot of large chem glass bottles and a few plastic, 4+L each).

 

[alexxx]

alphachem.ca

the best price I've found in Ontario so far.they can deliver to your door.

in my opinion, anything but tech grade acid should be avoided... seriously.. unless you like a very slow process and like to pay for extra water...

 

[GoldTJ]

Quote I just got from Alphachem is 125$ Cad + 90$ Transport for 2.5L 67-70%

Way more than what I expected

As any body got a beter source in Canada (or to Canada) ?

( My plan B is lazersteve recipee : Concentrate Nitric Acid ? )

 

[Dorcas Nimrod]

I've read that Rooto drain opener (sulfuric acid) is readily available in Canada, but from what I can tell potassium nitrate might be more difficult to obtain. With some modest glassware, you can make 70%-95% nitric acid for about 5-10$ a liter. I make a liter of RFNA at a time. If you're curious, I can point you to the right resources.

 

[GoldTJ]

Yes ,
In Canada

Drain opener (sulfuric acid 90-98% range) is readily available in about half the hardware store I went

Strait pure lead acid Battery acid (sulfuric acid 30-40%) is harder to find , but is possible too
(bouth mine here , many years ago Battery Electrolyte Acid | Aircraft Spruce Canada for other purposes Aircraft grade )

Potassium nitrate, is not that difficult to find either
https://theplantguy.ca/products/plantguys-potassium-nitrate-kno3-500g?_pos=1&_sid=e145de5df&_ss=rhttps://hydroponics.com/shop/dn-six-pack-3-potassium-nitrate-kno3-500-grams/https://aquariumdirect.ca/en/dry/1587-aaa-nitrate-de-potassium-kno3.htmlBut I'm not shure on the purity of these

Would have preferer to buy the nitric acid , but still waiting for glassware from china to go the diy way

 

[Joip11421]

I've read that Rooto drain opener (sulfuric acid) is readily available in Canada, but from what I can tell potassium nitrate might be more difficult to obtain. With some modest glassware, you can make 70%-95% nitric acid for about 5-10$ a liter. I make a liter of RFNA at a time. If you're curious, I can point you to the right resources.

I'm a complete newb, so any information is great. I'm based in Southern Nevada, and am so clueless on where to find material scrap. Mostly gonna lurk and read.

 

[Dorcas Nimrod]

I'm a complete newb, so any information is great. I'm based in Southern Nevada, and am so clueless on where to find material scrap. Mostly gonna lurk and read.

Nurdrage on YouTube has a number of videos on making nitric acid, as do NileRed, Doug's Lab and others. Nurdrage also has a good video on producing nitric acid from copper nitrate waste. Sreetips has a comprehensive library of refining videos.

GoldTJ​

"not shure on the purity... still waiting for glassware from china to go the diy way"
"Greenhouse grade" appears to be the same as technical grade, which is fine. Slight impurities and debris are ok. As long as the product is technical grade potassium nitrate or sodium nitrate, it should be fine. I'd avoid fertilizers which only list a NPK ratio, as you are technically producing a nitrating mix which could conceivably turn the wrong adulterants into high explosives. If there's no technical analysis or SDS available, you may want to chose a different product. If you don't want to hand over a copy of your driver's license, an alternative may be KNO3 stump remover. I've used Spectracide stump remover, and KNO3 from Duda Diesel, a bio-diesel supplier.
As you probably know, you can heat the excess water out of the sulfuric acid, so you can chose the cheapest source if you don't mind the extra step. (As a note on safety, you should always handle sulfuric acid with the utmost caution. Hot sulfuric acid will permanently blind and disfigure you on contact. Using hot sulfuric acid is strongly discouraged on this forum. If you're educated enough on the dangers to proceed, then you will already know that you need to plan for every contingency and do it outdoors or in an isolated area [away from people and pets, with a concrete floor] prepped with all the requisite PPE-safety glasses/face shield, protective clothing- lab coat, long sleeves, eye wash, shower/hose, a fire extinguisher and a bucket of baking soda nearby, and someone who is aware of what you're doing and can help you within shouting distance. This obviously applies whether you're concentrating sulfuric acid, or making nitric acid) You don't want to boil the acid, you want to hold it at a high heat until the water is driven out, and the only suitable vessel is really a large borosilicate beaker or evaporating dish. In my experience, the Rooto is about 93%, which is fine for making concentrated HNO3. If you want red fuming acid, you'll need to drive out that extra water with heat, and dry your nitrate salt in a shallow dish in a low oven for an hour or so. Seeing as for refining purposes you don't need such a high concentration, and you want to minimize labor and exposure to hazard, it's probably best to just start with the 93% and just distill your acid.
If it weren't for Chinese glassware, many of us would be priced out of the hobby. For the record, the only glass I've had break so far is my Kimax.

 

[GoldTJ]

Thanks for all the tips. Sadly KNO3 stump remover. is not available in canada.
Thanks for the info on purity of ferrilizer grade kno3.

 

[GoldTJ]

Also, yes, playing with hot sulfuric acid is scary, and not to be taken lightly, safety is important

 

[Shark]

If you use sodium nitrate the impurities in the fertilizer will filter out if used for poor man’s AR. Calcium nitrate can produce a better volume than sodium or potassium nitrates. Each have their own quirks when distilling but they can be overcome with minimal experience.

 

[eaglekeeper]

I'm a complete newb, so any information is great. I'm based in Southern Nevada, and am so clueless on where to find material scrap. Mostly gonna lurk and read.

If you want to find material to practice with. Some scrapyards will let you browse and buy scrap electronics from the yard. They'll probably charge by the pound, so I doubt there will be any profit to be made. But the experience/education is worth something.

Also check with the local computer repair shops, some times they have bad boards they may give you.

 

[Dorcas Nimrod]

Remember, you can also dissolve PM's using chlorine gas, which you can generate with pool chlorinating tabs (TCCA)
If you're dealing with a large scale, this is more economical. Sreetips has some videos on this as well.
There are a dozen ways to skin this cat.

 

[Joip11421]

If you want to find material to practice with. Some scrapyards will let you browse and buy scrap electronics from the yard. They'll probably charge by the pound, so I doubt there will be any profit to be made. But the experience/education is worth something.

Also check with the local computer repair shops, some times they have bad boards they may give you.

Great ideas, thank you.

 

[Joip11421]

Remember, you can also dissolve PM's using chlorine gas, which you can generate with pool chlorinating tabs (TCCA)
If you're dealing with a large scale, this is more economical. Sreetips has some videos on this as well.
There are a dozen ways to skin this cat.

I've been watching a lot of his videos and many others. I do have a healthy respect for many of these chemicals. I used to be a hazmat guy in the military like a million years ago. I'm looking for supplies from different places but yeah, I'll post how things go on my first run. Probably be in September, starts to cool off in Nevada at that time.

 

[eaglekeeper]

Remember, you can also dissolve PM's using chlorine gas, which you can generate with pool chlorinating tabs (TCCA)
If you're dealing with a large scale, this is more economical. Sreetips has some videos on this as well.
There are a dozen ways to skin this cat.

That is true, there is many ways to put metal in solution. I never used this method, but it is a tool in my toolbox if needed. Caution.... Make sure you have good ventilation/fume hood using this method. A face full of that green chlorine gas at best will put on you knee's, at worst destroy your lungs. Also the gas will corrode everything with in 20 feet.

Hydrogen peroxide is also an option, but I find the 3% solution just adds too much to my waste stream...but in a pinch, it's an option.

 

[nitrous]

35% hydrogen peroxide is readily available from bulk food warehouse. you need to give your name/address/purpose - 34% is less highly regulated but 35% + requires some paperwork.
Thy cost is ~$50/4L

 

[Jaguarz]

Quote I just got from Alphachem is 125$ Cad + 90$ Transport for 2.5L 67-70%

Way more than what I expected

As any body got a beter source in Canada (or to Canada) ?

Just called $135 for 2.5L
$85 for 2.5L if you buy the case of 4 and have a dangerous goods license and luckily I do

 

[Fishnbiker]

Looking through this thread I see no new information on finding nitric acid easily in Canada. I’m looking to dissolve or loosen a small brass part jammed in a specialty motorcycle carburetor, so I only would need an ounce or two as often shown in tiny squirt bottles. I am aware of all the safety concerns involved, just need a vendor dealing in small quantities as used for gold testing. I have seen the process on YouTubes but all sources there were US based.
Just wondering if anyone knows a source, preferably in Vancouver, Toronto or Montreal areas. I have contacts there that could assist with pick up & delivery.

Thanks

 

[cornishrene8]

Looking through this thread I see no new information on finding nitric acid easily in Canada. I’m looking to dissolve or loosen a small brass part jammed in a specialty motorcycle carburetor, so I only would need an ounce or two as often shown in tiny squirt bottles. I am aware of all the safety concerns involved, just need a vendor dealing in small quantities as used for gold testing. I have seen the process on YouTubes but all sources there were US based.
Just wondering if anyone knows a source, preferably in Vancouver, Toronto or Montreal areas. I have contacts there that could assist with pick up & delivery.

Thanks

Just a suggestion since the acid may harm the carb body, I would put the carb in an oven after being sure no fuel is in it. Heat it to perhaps 250 or so degrees while freezing a few wet q-tips in your fridge. Pull out the carb and quickly apply frozen q-tips in turn to the brass part. The thermal shock may be enough to loosen it enough for a penetrating oil to infiltrate.