Making hydrochloric acid at home

Making hydrochloric acid at home

Alchemists who first produced hydrochloric acid in the 15th century called it “spiritus salis,” “spirit from salt.” At that time, this acid had magical properties: it corroded paper, dissolved metals, and poisoned people. These properties remain with it to this day, but now this acid has been sufficiently studied, and there is no magic here.
Hydrochloric acid (HCl) is a strong monobasic acid, in its pure form it is a transparent liquid. At its maximum concentration of 38% it “smoke” in air. We will receive acid with a concentration of half that.
So let's get started.

Safety precautions


Be careful when working with toxic substances!
All experiments must be carried out in a well-ventilated room or under a hood. Be sure to wear safety glasses (can be purchased at a hardware store) and gloves (if you can’t find special chemical gloves, good quality ones are suitable for washing dishes).
Making hydrochloric acid at home

Baking soda must be present at the site of the experiment in order to neutralize the acid in an unforeseen situation (this will release carbon dioxide and water).
It is strictly prohibited to conduct experiments in metal containers.

Will need


To conduct the experiment we will need:
  • Acid electrolyte for batteries (sold in a car store);
  • Distilled water (ibid);
  • Table salt (available in any kitchen);
  • Baking soda (see safety precautions).

Making hydrochloric acid at home

From the dishes you need:
  • Glass flask;
  • A vessel with sand where you can place the flask;
  • Several disposable cups 200 ml;

Making hydrochloric acid at home

Making hydrochloric acid at home

If you have a heat-resistant flask, you can heat it under the open flame of a burner. But I still recommend using sand, in which case it will absorb acid.
You will also need a pair of plumbing angles with a diameter of 50 mm and a burner (in my case, alcohol, but I recommend using a gas one).
Making hydrochloric acid at home

Stage 1 - evaporation


The electrolyte for batteries is 36% sulfuric acid (H2SO4). First we need to increase its concentration.
Pour 200 ml into the glass, that is, almost to the brim, and pour a little more than half the glass into the flask. Make a mark with a marker and add the rest.
Making hydrochloric acid at home

I placed a foil reflector around the flask for more efficient heating, but later removed it because it began to melt.
Now put the flask on the burner and evaporate to the level of the previously set mark, even a little lower.
Making hydrochloric acid at home

At the same time, we put gauze folded several times on the corner and secure it with an elastic band. Prepare an unsaturated soda solution and dip the end of the corner with gauze into it.
Making hydrochloric acid at home

When the electrolyte begins to boil, we put a corner on the flask, it sits tightly on it. We direct the gauze end into the open window.
Making hydrochloric acid at home

This is necessary if suddenly the sulfuric acid itself begins to evaporate along with the water. If you don't overheat the flask too much, this won't happen.
Burner in action:
Making hydrochloric acid at home

My burner is relatively low wattage, so the evaporation took about an hour.A gas burner or electric stove would speed up this process significantly.
After completing the first stage, a little less than half of the solution should remain in the flask, that is, an acid with a concentration of about 75%. Don't forget about accuracy.
Making hydrochloric acid at home

Let it cool to room temperature.

Stage 2 - calculations


Now that we have concentrated sulfuric acid, we can carry out the basic reaction, it looks like this:
Making hydrochloric acid at home

But first, let's do some calculations, and at the end we will compare them with what happened in practice.
So, initially we had 200ml of electrolyte with a density of 1.27 g/cm³. Looking at the table of densities of sulfuric acid, we see that this density corresponds to a concentration of 36%. Let's calculate the volume of acid:
200ml*36%=72ml - V(H2SO4)

After we evaporated the solution, its concentration, and therefore its density, increased. We look at the same table and see that a concentration of 75% corresponds to a density of 1.67 g/cm³.
Knowing the current density (p) and volume (V) of the acid, we find out the mass:
m=p*V;
m(H2SO4)=1.67g/cm³ * 72ml=120g;

Now we remember from school chemistry:
m(H2SO4)/M(H2SO4)=m(NaCl)/M(NaCl)=m(HCl)/M(HCl),
where M is the molar mass of the substance.

The molar masses of H2SO4, NaCl and HCl are 98, 58.5 and 36.5 g/mol, respectively. Now we can find out how much table salt is needed and how much HCl we will get.
Namely, we need 72 g of NaCl, that’s 34 ml, let’s take it in excess - a quarter of a glass.
Great, and HCl in theory will come out to 44.7 g.
The HCl density table has a g/l column. We take from there the value for a concentration of 15% - 166.4 g/l. The volume of water required to obtain 15% HCl is 44.7/166.4≈270ml. We'll take 200ml. As a result, in theory, I will get 22% hydrochloric acid.

Stage 3 - obtaining acid


We connect the two corners as follows:
Making hydrochloric acid at home

And the whole structure will look like this:
Making hydrochloric acid at home

The corresponding acid will condense into a vessel labeled HCl; the volume of water in it is 200 ml. Also mark the current liquid level on this container.
We remove the corners and pour the calculated amount of salt into the flask through a funnel.
Making hydrochloric acid at home

The solution turns yellow.
Making hydrochloric acid at home

In order for hydrochloric acid to start releasing, you need to turn on the burner. But first, we tightly attach the corners to the flask and the receiving vessel.
When acid condenses in water, “vertical waves” are formed. Also, the solution heats up and must be cooled. For example, you can place another vessel with ice below.
Making hydrochloric acid at home

The reaction proceeds relatively quickly - 20 minutes, after which you can turn off the heat. Let the last vapors of hydrochloric acid dissolve in the water, and then seal the vessel hermetically. When the flask has cooled, dilute the remaining solution with water (approximately one to one) and pour it into the sewer.

Bottom line


Making hydrochloric acid at home

By the mark on the vessel we determine how much liquid has been added. For me it is ⅙, that is, 17%. This is the concentration of our hydrochloric acid. Let's compare it with the one obtained in theory.
17%/22%*100%=77% - reaction yield.

It is important to note that there is no output equal to 1, there are always losses. In my case, this is an insufficiently evaporated electrolyte. Ideally, the concentration of sulfuric acid should be 90-95%.
Let's check the resulting acid for interaction with metal.
Making hydrochloric acid at home

We observe rapid evolution of hydrogen. This means that the acid is suitable for further experiments.

Variations


You can use a clean glass bottle of beer or soda as a flask, but provided that the heating is as smooth as possible. Instead of PVC corners, you can take polypropylene pipes and corners of a smaller diameter (suitable for your flask).
Once again I urge you to follow safety precautions. Happy experiences everyone!
come back
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Comments (19)
  1. Yuri
    #1 Yuri Guests 28 November 2018 13:35
    5
    Now let’s learn how to make a match out of a log using a plane. Isn’t it easier to buy?
  2. Evgely Tornado
    #2 Evgely Tornado Guests 28 November 2018 19:07
    4
    So, to get HCL you need to have an electrolyte - original. And to get sugar, you need to have a sugar solution. Mendeleev is resting.
    1. Bidyuk Yuri Mikhailovich
      #3 Bidyuk Yuri Mikhailovich Guests 30 November 2018 18:07
      1
      Why, Dmitry Ivanovich is resting. For today’s physicochemical-mosachists, everything is very simple in the kitchen in an aluminum spoon, or luminium as the foreman said.
  3. Valerii
    #4 Valerii Guests November 29, 2018 01:09
    3
    The author has problems with the calculations.Sulfuric acid for batteries with a density of 1.27 g/cm3 has a concentration of 36% mass/mass (previously they said weight percentages), and the author makes calculations as for 36% mass/volume.
    1.268 g/cm³ (density) ‒> 36% (mass%, i.e. 36 g in 100 g solution) ‒>
    456.6 g/dm3 (mass of 100% H2SO4 per unit volume of solution, i.e. 45.66 g in 100 ml of solution, i.e. 45.66% mass/volume)
    Therefore:
    200 cm³ * 0.4566 g/cm3 = 91.32 g (100% H2SO4) ‒> 49.89 cm3 (100% H2SO4),
    m(H2SO4) / M(H2SO4) = m(NaCl) / M(NaCl) = m(HCl) / M(HCl),
    91,32 / 98 54,5 / 58,5 34,0 / 36,5
    The volume of water required to obtain 15% HCl is 34.0 g / 0.1664 g/ml = 204 ml
    As a result, in theory, ~15% hydrochloric acid will be released, and the reaction yield = 113%
    1. Bidyuk Yuri Mikhailovich
      #5 Bidyuk Yuri Mikhailovich Guests 30 November 2018 17:55
      2
      I'm so sorry. Please tell me in which batteries sulfuric acid is used as an electrolyte. I worked for 30 years as a battery technician in a car company. This is the first time I've heard of it. Do you also have calculations? Where can I get sulfuric acid?
      1. Guest Alexander
        #6 Guest Alexander Guests 6 December 2018 22:36
        9
        In all lead starter batteries. And you definitely worked as a battery technician
      2. Payral
        #7 Payral Guests 16 December 2018 22:33
        2
        All lead ones are filled with a solution of SULFUR and (and only this!!!) acid. I had an electrician friend who also worked for 25 years and for 25 years he connected “0” and “grounding” in the power panel... Yeah... and we also sin on the Unified State Examination... It’s not about the Unified State Examination, it turns out...
  4. Author
    #8 Author Guests 29 November 2018 19:09
    6
    You see, if it’s easier, buy it. How did the wind bring you to the Homemade site? The electrolyte is much more accessible than hydrochloric acid, and also look for the latter in city stores with a concentration of more than 15%. There are no errors in the calculations.
  5. Chemashur
    #9 Chemashur Guests December 7, 2018 11:37
    1
    What is HCl used for at home? What to do? It is still a strong poison. For example, I worked all my life in a biochemical laboratory and know how to prepare HCN myself, but I don’t take risks. HCL IS A STRONG POISON AND ANYTHING WILL COME INTO SOMEONE’S HEAD.
    1. Engineer
      #10 Engineer Guests 15 January 2020 12:40
      5
      Vinegar is also a strong poison (oh, a solution of acetic acid in water) and you can poison yourself with NaCl if you eat a couple of spoons more. Solyanka is used for soldering, for cleaning bathtubs and sinks - because... it is stronger than vinegar, but is volatile, unlike sulfur. Are you really a chemist?
  6. passerby
    #11 passerby Guests 14 December 2018 14:17
    2
    Thank you for the article. Of course, it would be more interesting if you told us how alchemists obtained acid in ancient times, because they did not have an electrolyte, much less batteries.
    Next, I will try to get nitric acid from this acid.... and throw cotton in there.... I will get smokeless gunpowder.
  7. Peter
    #12 Peter Guests December 27, 2018 09:01
    10
    kick ass commentators!!! never went to school!!!
  8. Alexei
    #13 Alexei Guests 6 October 2020 19:56
    1
    It is not possible to buy salyanka or nitrogen as this is only possible for legal entities. Thank you for the discussion.
  9. podkashey
    #14 podkashey Guests 21 November 2020 18:59
    2
    There was an error in the calculations, as someone said, since the percentages are taken from the mass, not the volume.
    The concentration of the resulting hodgepodge can be determined by its density and the corresponding table. You just need to have scales. But cup scales are also not difficult to make at home.
    The author, I do not advise anyone to evaporate the electrolyte on a gas stove, burner or other high heat - without boiling water there will be explosive boiling and the entire kitchen will be splashed with acid. The electrolyte is evaporated either rapidly or slowly, at a relatively low temperature.
  10. podkashey
    #15 podkashey Guests 21 November 2020 19:10
    1
    Also, before heating in the main reaction, it is better to cool the salt and sulfur in the freezer. They begin to react at room temperature and you can inhale hydrogen chloride. At 0 there is no reaction.
    One of the commentators said that the yield is 113%, which cannot be, since the salt was taken in excess, and when heated, the reaction equation is slightly different - from one reconciliation molecule, twice as much salt is obtained as without heating.