From: Sil Horwitz (silh@earthlink.net)
Date: 07/03/03-11:03:15 AM Z
Loris stated:
My questions are:
1) Can 5% solution of sulphuric acid do harm to the glass? Is it all
right to store it in a glass bottle?
2) The concentrated sulphuric acid is stored in a "plastic" bottle. Is
it OK to store such a strong acid in plastic bottles?
1) 5% sulfuric acid (actually any concentration) is safe in a glass bottle. Except for various fluoric acids, all acids are safe in glass. Alkalies (even a low level one such as sodium carbonate) can etch glass, but not acids.
2) Depends on the plastic. Laboratory bottles, made of high density polyethylenes or polypropylene are exceptional good for concentrated acids (even hydrofluoric, etc). The problem with the lower density plastics (common polyethylene, for example) is not the danger of interaction, but the danger of rupture. Can you imagine the havoc a sulfuric acid leak would cause? Concentrated sulfuric acid is doubly dangerous, because in addition to it high acidity, it is also an oxidizer and a dehydrator (with the production of high values of heat). Glass is also good for conc. sulfuric acid, but I recommend placing the bottle in a plastic enclosure in the extraordinary case of the glass breaking. The acid itself will not react with glass. --sil
(Note that the modern accepted spelling is "sulfuric acid.")
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