[alt-photo] Re: On working with hydrochloric acid

[Marek Matusz]

Harlan,  Very good point. Having worked with hydrochloric acid in the lab for years I can attest to that. On the other hand I keep my bottle in the garage in a plasic box. The garage gets enough ventilation as far as I am concerned. WHat you don't want is the bttle of concentrated hydrochloric acid (muratic acid) in a closet with your very expensive dslr. Kerik, I have tried oxalic acid with FA hot press and was never 100% happy with my workflow. The hydrochloric acid treated sot press was a wow! moment for me. I never came to the conclustion wheter this was my oxalic acid treatment or the difference beteen hot and soft press Fabriano paper since I changes two variables at once.
I have a stack of treated paper now that I am happy with. I should propaby hoard some more before another paper disaster strikes. Marek> From: kerik at kerik.com
> Date: Sat, 16 Feb 2013 07:52:23 -0800
> To: alt-photo-process-list at lists.altphotolist.org
> Subject: [alt-photo] Re: On working with hydrochloric acid
> 
> Thanks for posting this Harlan!  I would encourage the use of oxalic acid for treating paper. I've been using this approach for well over 10 years with many hundreds of pt/pd prints and it works extremely well. 
> 
> Kerik
> www.kerik.com
> 
> On Feb 16, 2013, at 7:14 AM, Harlan Chapman <hchapman at coastside.net> wrote:
> 
> > A gentle warning on a sneaky little hazard in using hydrochloric acid
> > (muriatic acid):
> > 
> > The acidic component is a gas, hydrogen chloride (HCl). Even dilute
> > hydrochloric acid will liberate the gas into your working environment.
> > Within reason this doesn't present a serious toxicity hazard and with good
> > ventilation you will be fine - hydrochloric acid is surprisingly friendly
> > to work with considering it's strength. But nearly any metal (aluminum,
> > iron, copper, even most stainless steel alloys commonly used) in your
> > entire workspace, even across the room, will begin to corrode. The
> > corrosion will be slow, insidious and damaging. Once noticed you'll find it
> > everywhere. So don't work with HCl in a darkroom space that may include
> > valued metal objects like clocks, cameras, dry mount presses, cutters…
> > Don't use it in a stainless steel sink unless you know it is an
> > HCl-resistant alloy. And don't store concentrated (even dilute)
> > hydrochloric acid solutions inside unless double or triple packaged as even
> > the best sealed bottle will likely leak fumes slowly into your storage
> > space and destroy it.
> > 
> > Mix hydrochloric acid, use it, store it, and dry paper treated with it
> > freely outside.
> > 
> > The volatile corrosiveness of HCl largely is not shared with most other
> > acids commonly used in photographic/printing processes.  Oxalic, acetic,
> > citric, dilute sulfuric, and dilute nitric, are OK, they won't liberate
> > undetectable vapors that slowly chew on metals throughout your workspace.
> > 
> > Happy printing,
> > 
> > -Harlan
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