Came across something new to me today, a mixture for cleaning glassware aggressively.
The example I found was 70/30 mix by volume concentrated sulphuric acid and hydrogen peroxide.
I liked the name:
Sounds a little on the lethal side. Don't spill it on your clothing. Brian
Well I certainly won't be ordering concentrated sulphuric acid, or hydrogen peroxide, or acetone over the internet!
How interesting, but the manufacture is counter-intuitive: "Piranha solution should always be prepared by adding hydrogen peroxide to sulfuric acid slowly, never in reverse."
That is completely opposite to what must be done when diluting conc sulphuric acid - the acid must be added slowly, with stirring, to the water. As 30% H2O2 is mainly water, I am very surprised at this instruction. I was also surprised at the mention of 50% H2O2 being used as well.
Maybe they should have considered adding fuming nitric acid as well "for those difficult stains"...
LOL. And some potassium dichromate for luck?
I did once order some relatively strong hydrogen peroxide from Amazon and was slightly amused that it suggested some acetone to go with it!
You've obviously been around as long as I have. I wonder what elf'n'safety would make of cleaning pipettes by sucking up sulphuric acid and potassium dichromate solution?! Been there, done that, but fortunately never got a mouthful!
From 'O' Level chemistry back in 1967 ...
"Always remember and do as you oughta, and add the acid to the water"
And some bleach to kill coronavirus.
Owain
Goodness, I had not spotted that! To be fair, I havn't really done any proper wet chemistry for more than 30 years.
I went through the sixth form with a row of holes on my blazer lapel caused by one of the madder contemporaries who liked to experiment with nitrating mixture. (He of course went on to become a doctor; I wonder where you are now Dr Daggett?)
No face screens or goggles then, although at least I did wear ordinary prescription glasses.
"It's already dead, Jim, but not as we know it."
I dropped a hot flask of that, which smashed and so finished fifth form with a stripe of bed sheet material stitched across the midriff of my lab coat. Fortunately I took the coat off quickly enough that none of it got through to the clothing underneath. The stain on the bench was quite impressive too.
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