Make Nitric Acid - The Complete Guide

[Rubikorigami]

Sorry *with

[Rubikorigami]

Can I do the last method vitr copper nitrate to form copper sulfate AND nitric acid?

[filipinossc]

does the copper recovered (the one alluminum contaminated) can be used to recover silver from silver nitrate?

[MrCOLTSR2]

If i have access to ALL those other ingredients am sure i will also have access to nitric acid so whats the point of this video?....by the time i have sourced hydrochloric acid and all the nitrate based chemicals i may as well add the nitric acid to my shopping list instead of all this fluffing about...nice video but a bit pointless...

[cptorangutang2]

@MrCOLTSR2 it's an educational video, that's the point, to show that chemistry can be both fun and interesting :) Nobody ever said it was a practical way to aquire HNO3.

[MrCOLTSR2]

@cptorangutang2 agreed my apologies..i have subscribed to your excellent uploads....my error in commenting before i realsied what your channel was about...forgive me..

[cptorangutang2]

@MrCOLTSR2 why the hostility? If everyone on youtube spent their time making/uploading content, who would be around to sit back and watch? Speaking of which, I see your channel consists of much the same as my own (ie. zero uploads).

*sniff sniff* What's that I smell in the air? Why, it's the unmistakeable scent of irony, mixed in with the pungent odor of hypocracy... :)

[TwBit]

"Do not inhale"

[YooEssBee1]

@TwBit sped up do not inhale

[Frosttty]

That was awesome to watch!

[nikola96uf]

Can i mix 100 gmams of soncetraced 98% sulfuric acid and 101 gmams of potassium nitrate and filtrate the mixture? KNO3+H2SO4=>KHSO4+HNO3 Concetrated sulfuric acid is hygroscopic and potassium nitrate doesn't contain water molecules and water isn't produced in reaction. There will be no water and KHSO4 will not disolve and there will be pure nitric acid. Can i make it this way?

[MrHavoc666]

DO NOT INHALE!

[MrKushKiller1]

So do you think you can make me some meth?

[ktsswan]

In place of copper chunks/tubing/wire, is it possible to use the copper sponge obtained from reacting copper sulfate and zinc?

I saw the reaction in another video and I am assuming it is copper sponge. If I am wrong, please correct me.

[TheSolitaryTraveller]

you show how to make nitric, and sulfric acid. 2 more things and you can make a if i remember right nitroglycerin. thou without the right clay to adsorb the nitro, your left with an ungodly sensitive explosive instead of a sensitive explosive.

[maden199604]

Will this worck with muriatic acid and ammonium nitrate?

[TheScienceiscool]

@maden199604 muriatic is hydrochloric, so it should. Ammonium nitrate should also work, i have tried this with about 4 other nitrates, and they all worked. Good Luck!

[th1alb]

great tutorial!

[DJFamou5]

6:56 There it goes ;)

[mcgoo721]

I'm starting to understand why science majors always have the best homemade smoking equipment.

[robertquentincobb]

Awesome. I am looking for aqua fortis to use to test on my silver coins.

[Charliefreerun]

Theres actually simple ways of making plastic explosives, without nitric acid, to whoever it was that asked, check out pyroheaven, theyve got a how-to video on making a plastic explosive called vaselate with a demonstration.

[elflordbob1]

0:41

ammonium nitrate is in those instant cold pack...for people who care

[ReapingMiner]

I used that copper recycling method and let the beaker cool for a while and i got beautiful white needle crystals, probably AlCl3.

[pheonixmon1]

@ReapingMiner Actually it should be AlNO3

[xtofury]

thank you so much for posting this. I will save copies and archive for sure, plus subbed.

[xtofury]

would adding salt to the ice/water slurry help more? (would lower temps to -20C)

[LinzyMcMurter]

would this process work with calcium ammonium nitrate?

[efferize]

Love the video, curious to know which is more potent, Nitric, Sulfuric, or Hydrochloric acid? I mean I see Nitric Acid is good for copper, but is that all it can break down?

[linutas]

I bet he was born under a fume hood

[XBiteABulletX]

Can you make HNO3 with cc H2SO4 and KNO3 heated mixture?

[UNITA4]

can I use rubber stoppers for the distillation apparatus if I use method 3?

[LILDrummer095]

Is it possible to use heated sulfuric acid and nitrate salt in method 2

[Zappyguy111]

Love the beating the NurdRage sign has taken over the years. :P

[johnrobism]

can I put in the nitric acid a litle printed board ? can it dispose of the plastic?

[GTHaroFITBMX]

about the copper precipitate saving i do that with copper chloride and aluminum all the time even under the microscope

[GTHaroFITBMX]

note that it ate the stopper on method 2... yeech

[johnrobism]

thanks for your answare hellbrainsx, but how can I make a two phase mixture or is it possible to tell me how much water I must put in outer glass? in this video it put 50ml water. The glass which use of cup must not touch fully with the inner glass? Can I use glass which isn't pyrex?

[nikola96uf]

Why everything must be of glass?\



[thegodofchemistry]

@nikola96uf because of hydrochloric acid will react with aluminum, zink, tin and titanium and nitric acid will corrode copper so its cheaper and easier to use all glass setup

[98JMA]

@nikola96uf

Because nitric acid has an unfortunate habit of eating a vast majority of types of rubber and plastic over time.

[MrRMillr]

Off the wall Question? For qualitive analysis of metals;

1/ How fast should a Centrifuge be? 3k 3.4k 4k ?

2/ Ideas or replacements for a Hydrogen Sulfide Generator (Kipp OK?).

3/ What exactly takes AU out of Aqua Regia? Thank You



[HLANGEL100]

Pure Nitric Acid is good for rendering certain metals corrosion resistant.

This is good in some environmental aspects. Also As Fuming Nitric acids, have poor corrosive property's as mentioned in your Vid: When Near pure Sulphuric acid is added, A compound known as Brady s regent is formed, this makes it highly corrosive;-). Please investigate?

[danl1u2c3a4s5]

I like this! good job!

[terebithia5000]

what percentage is the nearly pure nitric acid made in the last method?

[mahaavir]

Very helpful

i have question how to dissolve all metal and get back as ashes or powder form?

please help ?

[DragonFlyback256]

The electro-geek way of it: i would just zap air with high voltage for a good time for NO2. ^^

[killalfags]

hey nurdrage can you tell me where you get your glassware i have been looking for some complex stuff and cant find them

[shidoink]

sorry Dr Butyl, but wont using stoiceometric(spelling? ive always said stoic) amounts result in a far too thick a mixture, and then the HNO3 will decompose before it manages to evaporate?

[Rubikorigami]

At 2:10, u say: Only nitric acid can disolve copper. But, sulfuric acid too,no?

[BruceNJeffAreMyFlies]

@Rubikorigami read the comments from the uploader.

[badgamer66]

LOL see, when you blow air into it, it fumes!........ (very quietly and very fast) DO NOT INHALE

[orangequant]

thank you - you have rekindled my love for chemistry!

[avilawilder1318]

Does nitric acid disolves 24k gold???

[orangequant]

@avilawilder1318 i don't think so, but it would dissolve any slight base metal impurities. dissolving gold requires "aqua regia", a combination of two conc. acids- 1 part nitric to 3 parts hydrochloric- adding heat helps.

[awent0428]

For the last way to make nitric acid, may I run a tube into a graduated cylinder full of H2O2 in a ice bath? 

[vvindowsRExp]

funny thing if i already have nitric acid can i use it with copper to make nitrogen dioxide for more acid?

[FortNikitaBullion]

@vvindowsRExp You could, but then you'd use up the nitric acid in the first place. Do you want to purify the acid?

[StefanB2112]

where or how did you get the nitrate salt ?

[NorCalPunk032]

can i use the Calcium ammonium nitrate as my salt?

[acaskey15]

Will the condenser method work with potassium nitrate? Plus can you use a flame to heat the mixture in the condenser method, instead of an oil bath?

[orangequant]

@acaskey15 direct flame to heat the mixture would: (a)- force too fast and dangerous a reaction; and (b)- possibly (?) produce unwanted byproducts and reduce useful output. the oil bath distributes the heat more evenly.

[Weldin810]

Huh Huh Huh, he said acid... Heh, Heh, Yea Acid Rulz.. Huh huh, damn it Beavis, youve never had acid. Shut up Butthead, yes i have.. Huh huh, no u didnt, that was just some paper a dog pee'd on, Huh Huh Huh, I just told you it was acid..

[gerimia25]

now can some one get me some glycerin and now were in business

[cautionnow6]

is it strange that i think of the copper as the Joker, and the nitric acid as Batman because it's the only thing that can dissolve copper?

[icee641]

the waste looks like poop

[TheRajin12]

is there any you could neutralize the nitrogen dioxide gas that is release

[donrau]

What kind of "oil" in the oil bath method? Will water bath work?

[donrau]

nm. I just saw your latest vid. thanks.

[jaffrey222]

6:57 When that thing spilled, he was probably like" HOLY SHIT!!!!!!!!"

[darkenraja]

I spilled some of this on me at me today at work. Hurts like all hell.

[MOOsociety]

Does the reaction between HCl and NH4NO3 produce ammonium chloride? If so how would i go about extracting pure ammonium chloride from what is left, also whats the purpose of copper? is it a catalyst? and if so what temperature would i need to preform this reaction without copper?

[HUsoldier171]

@MOOsociety the hcl and nitrate act like nitric acid so when copper is added it reacts with it to make nitrogen monoxide and dioxide and the way to do it without copper is shown at the end of the video all of this was explained in the video.....

[Polybun]

Well, i'm sure the government is happy about this video.

[grb345]

oops. just saw your clip about fractional distillation... nevermind, thanks

[grb345]

if someone wanted to make a higher molarity of nitric acid could one just boil the water down? is there danger in decomposition? sorry if this question shows my ignorance of acid chemistry, its been a while...

[chemistryguy100]

Nurdrage, do we have to use fractional distillation to concentrate the acid in the second method? or can we use normal distillation, like you would use to separate alcohol and water. If so, how would you do it? Thanks!

[SepradistPhantom]

Presumably if you 'captured' the gas given off when you do the 'test' by pouring it onto copper, then put it through a condenser to cool it down you would have Dinitrogen tetroxide? Great video by the way, i love kitchen chemistry :D

[hossnozzie]

can I use copper that has lead contaminants?

[eduajvhades]

rage make a video to make nitric acid red fuming 90% or higer

[nickelisio]

Very good video.

[Tutorializer100]

can i use NaCl salt?

[Arkantos013]

FANTASTIC!!!



[Arkantos013]

Hello, I want to try to synthesize nitric acid with the first method, provided with address nitrate ammoio pure, that's okay? I must follow the same procedure? and always with the first method I use copper instead of iron as a catalyst. I thank you in advance and sorry for my English but I am Italian .. hello

[toothpick93]

Would Copper Nitrate be formed in the reaction vessel where the copper, nitrate salt and HCl is mixed?

[sm3llyperson]

Will pennies (made before 1982, when pennies were still made mostly of copper) provide the copper necessary?

[chemistryguy100]

@sm3llyperson Yes, those are nearly pure copper.

[akhs001]

i do the third method with the sodium nitrate made in your previous video and works excellent.

[Magicjeffff]

wow, you had to move the last mixture into a larger beaker

[StaigeFright]

Can I use the first method to produce a strong enough nitric acid to refine silver?

[peerayos123]

Can you use the nitric acid or sulfuric acid as an acid rain for experiment?

[Sphereal]

lol i hope no kids watch this and create their own bombs.

[nonojr97]

cool..............do that with dry ice

[atcaleb]

Mr. Rage, I bought a 500ml filter flask and they gave me a rubber no.7 stopper for $.49. Also I got latex surgical tubing. Will rubber and latex work safely in the second method shown? I am using Potassiun Nitrate 99% stump remover and 31.45% HCl 20* Baume Muriatic Acid. I got copper out of some NM copper wire. Also is using the 3% H2O2 from Walgreens ok? Thanks

[emanuelnemec]

You said in last method that you had got pure nitric acid. What does that mean 100% ?

[darkteenpaint]

if you listen he says that the acid can only be 75% pure as it binds with the water

[datzfast]

how come you use that fake voice over, do you sound like a homosexual without it?

[datzfast]

will laughing gas give you a hard penis i notice my gets hard when i inhale the gas found in canned whip cream.

[renato64888]

does this acid corrodes other things besides metals? like human skin or fingernails? cause i dropped some on a roach and it didnt reacted at all

[PorkChopify]

How do you know if NO2 is being inhaled at deadly concentrations? Would it show color?

[nickbhalo]

@PorkChopify NO2 has a strong odor, so if you smell it you might want to step away..

[prorsoft]

"Only nitric acid can dissolve copper." That's a bit misleading, as there are plenty of other chemicals that can dissolve copper, including sodium persulfate and iron(III) chloride, although perhaps at a slower rate.

[NurdRage]

@prorsoft it was included in the script that i was supposed to say "...and produce brown nitrogen dioxide gas." but i screwed it up. I'm hoping to redo this video and release an updated and corrected version.

[HDRCX550VE]

@NurdRage When you redo the video, could you please include information on producing WFNA with urea and H2SO4? I'm trying to get relatively large yields (~200ml) without a proper condenser and it's certainly not working too well.

[johnrobism]

@prorsoft I would like a nitric acid 69% - 72%. In the first method (Around 80grams of sodium nitrate, over 30 grams of copper and 100mL of hydrochloric acid (37% 12M) are the quantities neede) how much nitric acid haves this dilution ???

[johnrobism]

@johnrobism ...and if this dilution is 100% nitric acid I must mix water about 30% of this dilution? or how can I do to take 70% nitric acid of this dilution???

[hellbrainsx]

@johnrobism If you don't add enough water to make the 70:30 dilution then you will end up with a two phase mixture. There will be portions of the near pure nitric acid and portions of the 70:30 mixture.

[BodyaDar]

can I use H2SO4 instead of HCl?

[NurdRage]

@BodyaDar yes. but if you had that, you're better off doing the distillation method shown at the end of the video.

[Hobypyrocom]

as far as i know dissolving nitrous oxide in water produces nitrous acid (HNO2) not nitric acid (HNO3) which is not usable for some experiments.

making HNO3 with fertiliser is not completly true nither because most of the fertilizers are made of ammonium nitrate or urea nitrate with which you cant make nitric acid. usig hydrochloric acid to make nitric acid is really funny not only false.you cant boiling the produced acid to rise the concentration if you ask as nitric acid boling point is 83 °C

[gogo311]

@Hobypyrocom 3 NO2 + H2O --> 2 HNO3 + NO

[81frets]

could you simply boil the acid to evaporate the water and obtain the 70% concentration mark. please reply nurdrage

[snakeeeey]

en vez de usar acido clorhidrico ¿se puede usar acido muriatico?

[MrRedox602]

Would concentrated hydrochloric acid be an adequate substitute for sulfuric acid? I understand it would require twice as many moles of acid since it's not a diprotic acid, but is there any reason why I've not seen any nitric acid synthesis procedures using other strong acids?

[jaws99099]

Also I'm going to use Ammonium nitrate for the distillation process. From what I gather on your earlier replies that it works but it's just not as productive is that correct?

[jaws99099]

Hi Nurdrage I have seen many variations of this video but nobody says what type of oil they are using or what the temp is. Can I use standard cooking veg oil? Can you clarify this for me and anybody else who has the same question. Thank you in advance!

[madivga]

1 thing i don't get.

What is the difference between the acid mixture you've made at the beginning and the Nitric acid that has been created by dissolving the NO2 in water?

[dieselace1]

 very informative

[Khaied345]

I used NH4NO3, but nothing happened when I added HCl Acid.

[NurdRage]

@Khaied345 you might have to put the flask into a hot water bath to get it started.

[acaskey15]

@NurdRage Will the condenser method work with potassium nitrate? Plus can you use a flame to heat the mixture instead of an oil bath? I love your videos! Thanks so much

[ih8kkk]

nitric acid is like gold to me and every time i saw it used up on the copper test it felt like throwing away perfectly good food :P

[mgregggphone]

That's a interesting example of passivation. Thanks for the video!

[LOLDING1234]

nitric acid + glisoral soaps = nitroglisoren + sawdust = dinomite

[jack91x]

@LOLDING1234 Add spelling and maybe you're bright enough not to blow yourself up in the meantime.

[jonjoy1999]

@4:47 doesn't that look like some kind of post-robot-apocalypse dinner meal? you got the brown mud for fuel for your nanobots.. and the aluminum for endo-skeleton repair

[dfgbPRINCE9678hg]

i can make crack now!



[dekitai20]

you specify one should use lab grade nitrate salt for the last method. Do you think recrystallised ammonium sulfate from an ice pack would be pure enough?

[MrPetin007]

Method with sulfuric acid and fertilizer really good. As regards first method with HCl ,IMHOit's a bullshit. Mix of nitrate with HCL forms aqua regis, that readily solves copper, but in gaseous phase we have very toxic mix of chlorine, NO,NO2, NOCl2,HCl fumes etc. To get from it pure HNO3 -- it's a serious chemistry problem in itself...:)...

[NurdRage]

@MrPetin007 Not at all, just boil it a bit. The nitric acid will oxidize any chlorine compounds and drive them off along with the remaining nitrogen monoxide and dioxides. You'll be left with a weaker but pure solution of nitric acid. Not really a "serious chemistry problem".

Although i agree the aqua regia approach is not practical, it's nonetheless a demonstration of chemistry. I won't restrict my videos to purely practical experiments just because you think a demonstration is "bullshit".

[3456superjason]

Where do you get all the chemicals in Canada ?

[pyroscience42]

Hi NurdRage, I have a question..... In this synthesis, could someone use sulphuric acid instead of hydrochloric acid to isolate the nitrogen dioxide vapors that come out in order to create nitric acid? Thanks.

[indiana19961996]

I want to ask something. Can i concentrate hydrochloric acid with boiling method or No? I use 80 grams of ammonium nitrate, 38 grams of copper and 150 ml of 16% hydrochloric acid through the second method. The result was pretty weak so i think that if i concentrate the hydrochloric acid, i will make it stronger but i don't believe that the hydrochloric acid can't concentrate with the boiling method. Can you answer my questions?

[HONORGUARD308]

thanks mate, now i can make RDX

[daninjaj13]

@HONORGUARD308 dynamite is easier :D

[HONORGUARD308]

@daninjaj13 oo very nice, tell me please how to make it

[lvivtotoro]

I Wanted Like But I Think Middle Like

[AlitheiaPictures]

awesome! :)

[crapbag1997]

so does a 170g of sodium nitate to 49g of 96% of sulphuric acid sound right this is my first atempt at stoichiometry please some tell me if i have done this right or wrong

[nickalisse1]

@crapbag1997 Dont know if someone already answered you? Cause, I didn't read all the comments. But, it should be more around 98g of Sulfuric Acid. Need more infos, feel free to ask.

[stevenliang96]

is it ok if i use impure hcl obtained from drain cleaners?

[JACKNAPIER62]

I tried this but it didn't work. I do not know what those pipes from the condenser are supposed to got to but I put it to a pump that keeps it sold. Plus I used an open flame hot plate. Why did it not work! help me :(

[stevenliang96]

hey nurdrage, i used the second method as shown in the video but my nitric acid is green in colour! Please help

[pstarpavo]

can i concentrate the weak nitric acid by boiling it like sulfuric acid?

[cassiavc]

@pstarpavo Not a good idea. Nitric acid will boil at 80~85 celsius degrees. That is pretty low. It will vaporize before the water.

[UberHaxPie]

@aliendude5300 Don't tell an expert what to do. He knows what can kill him and how to be safe

[aliendude5300]

at 7:00 you should always add acid to water, not the other way around. that's just unsafe.

[NurdRage]

@aliendude5300 that only applies to sulfuric acid.

[cassiavc]

@NurdRage You back!

[jazerazo]

@NurdRage NO WAY!!! Mr. NurdRage, you should seriously consider the possibility of doing a 'chemistry mythbusters' video. I still remember when you pointed out that mixing bleach and ammonia does not produce chlorine gas (as I and many others used to think) but rather considerable amounts of toxic chloramine fumes. Thanks for the videos!

[rflooker]

@NurdRage

I had heard the add acid to water thing before, it is interesting to know it was over generalized :)

[ribman1998]

i made the nitric acid and i put it into a glass pot with a lid then a few days later i open the pt and red gas started coming out and nitric acid splashed all over me

can someone tell me why this happend

[MrJVasquez69]

I used nitric acid at my work to fine silver metal to 99.9% and if u combine nitric and chloritic acid is to fine gold metal to 99.9%..im also a jeweler :D..also sulphuric and water makes a thermical reaction. lol i have fun at my work playing with chemicals

[ribman1998]

in the second method can i use sulphuric acid

[the2ck]

Cool vids. I wish my chem teacher did this. She's got a bid of the mad scientist vibe already, but this would scare the freshmen.

[PCman54]

Just add a little air :D

But DONT breathe.... or you die >:D

[packgen]

@PCman54 add, dont remove!

[BCQD4]

where do you get your silver bars from???

[JeffroTV]

With them disguising their voice, it's like they are terroists.

[TopOfTheClassTips]

@NurdRage What do you use to make your voice like that?

[justanothertut]

The best way, I think, is to buy potassium nitrate, and mix it with sulfuric acid in a retort. A gentle flame from a Bunsen burner provides heat.

[SlowinTheMotion]

@NurdRage In the first method you say that 32 grams of copper is needed, but an excess is better. How is it better? Does it make the finished nitric acid stronger?

[SHExxLIKESxxBARINAS]

the orange gas looks so good for your lungs.... :S

[okmankk]

lol its so strong it wont work

[Cab0cl0]

Can I drink it?

[indiana19961996]

Can you please explain what you are talking about? I'm Greek so i don't understand good enough the meanings of each sentence.