An extra word of caution in handling sodium hydroxide in powder form. Contact with mucous membrane, such as eyelids or mouth, or ingestion into the lungs can and will do great physical harm, Possible harm which can not be recovered from, for example if it is breathed into the lung. It reacts quickly with moisture and gives horrible chemical burns, potentially. Chemical burns to the interior of the lung is deadly.
Please use care and understand the risks. Grant... On Tue, Jan 22, 2013 at 4:38 PM, Fmiser <fmi...@gmail.com> wrote: > > > David & [or] Kristin Gilmore wrote: > > > > > > I seem to remember someone in this group one time > > > recommending using acid to improve the soil for growing > > > potatoes. > > _Sweet_ potatoes and blueberries are both plants that prefer > acidic soil. But adding battery acid is _NOT_ the way to > achieve it! > > > > While at my local NAPA getting > > > some other parts I found quart containers of battery acid > > > were about $5 each and they had only 2. But they would > > > sell me a 5 gallon container for I think it was $32. So > > > that is what I bought and used about 1 1/2 gallons. > > > Any suggestions as to what to do > > > with it? Thanks. Dave Gilmore, Cameron WV > > > Gerry Archer wrote: > > > Sir, I have a substantial quantity of sulfuric acid, about 15 > > gallons, > > > I tried household bleach > > but only succeeded in producing chlorine gas! > > > Replies: > > You are correct that household bleach is not an appropriate > > reagent for neutralizing sulfuric acid. > > > The most direct method would be to neutralize the sulfuric > > acid with DILUTE sodium hydroxide, which you can probably > > obtain from a hardware store or industrial chemical supplier > > under the common name, "caustic soda". > > Or the common name lye. > > > This should be diluted carefully with water > > because the heat of dilution is substantial. Add the diluted > > sodium hydroxide slowly to the dilute acid > > Really? I'm not a chemist, nor have I even done much shade-tree > chemistry - but I though the procedure was to always add acid to > the base. > > > A word of caution: Do NOT use "old fashion" Draino as a source > > of "caustic soda". It is a mixture of sodium hydroxide and > > aluminum flakes. When diluted hydrogen is evolved, which is > > potentially explosive. > > Hydrogen rises very rapidly (15 ft/sec) so if this is done > outside - which is where _I_ would be doing it - I wouldn't > consider the hydrogen to be a big risk. > > > http://www.newton.dep.anl.gov/askasci/chem00/chem00693.htm > > -- Philip > > _______________________________________ > http://www.okiebenz.com > For new and used parts go to www.okiebenz.com > To search list archives http://www.okiebenz.com/archive/ > > To Unsubscribe or change delivery options go to: > http://mail.okiebenz.com/mailman/listinfo/mercedes_okiebenz.com > _______________________________________ http://www.okiebenz.com For new and used parts go to www.okiebenz.com To search list archives http://www.okiebenz.com/archive/ To Unsubscribe or change delivery options go to: http://mail.okiebenz.com/mailman/listinfo/mercedes_okiebenz.com
