T&T: &T: Safe Lime/Calcium Deposit Removal

[Richard Quarles]

> "...NEVER add water to muriatic acid!!!.  Or POOOOffffffffffffffff"
>
>   Actually, the reason to add acid to water and not the other way  
> around is that if you splash when adding acid to water, the drops  
> will be mostly acid.  If you add water to acid the drops splashed  
> out will be acid.
>
>   Regards,
>   Randy Pickelmann
>

Actually, the reason for adding acid to water is that if water is  
added slowly to acid, the first drops will frequently boil violently  
from the heat of hydration.  The violent boiling action will spatter  
the acid out of the3 container.  And, if fact, it generally not a  
problem with hydrochloric acid but is a real hazard when diluting  
concentrated sulfuric acid.  In addition, mujriatic acid is not an  
obsolete term; If you go to your paint store to buy some, it will be  
labelled muriatic acid, not hydrochloric acid.  It is the name given  
to technical grade, as opposed to chemically pure grade, hydrochloric  
acid.  It is generally light yellow in color due to iron contamination.

 >>>>>Distilled white vinegar is rarely used in recipes...it's primarily
considered a cleaning product--and has been for at least a century. Your
grandmother prob'ly used it. It's distilled from alcohol..whereas cider,
wine and balsalmic vinegars are distilled from fermented fruit juices,
making them unsuitable for cleaning because some sugars remain in them.
Fruit vinegars are also less acidic than white vinegar, making them less
effective at dissolving lime and minerals.
-- 
Peggie
----------
Peggie Hall

 >>>>>>
Distilled vinegar is a frequent component of pickles, relishes,  
barbeque sauces, ketchup, etc.  It has many uses far in excess of its  
use as a cleaning product.  If you read the labels on cider vinegar  
and distilled white vinegar, you'll find that they are both diluted  
to 5% acidity.  Other vinegars come in varying acidities.  I've seen  
as low as about 4.2% on rice vinegar and as high as about 6%.

These answers to the varying misinformation in this thread have been  
provided by an actual chemist.

Rick Quarles
Barric II, Nordic Tug 32-147
New Bern, NC