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Hydrochloric Acid
also known as muriatic acid
Hydrochloric
acid is the water-based, or aqueous, solution of hydrogen chloride gas.
It is also the
main component of gastric acid, an acid produced naturally in the human stomach
to help digest food.
Hydrochloric
acid is also synthetically produced for a variety of industrial and commercial
applications, and can be formed by a number of manufacturing processes,
including dissolving hydrogen chloride gas in water.
Uses & Benefits
Hydrochloric acid
is a strong, corrosive acid that can be used to make steel for bridges and
cars.
It is used in the
chemical industry in the large-scale production of vinyl chloride for PVC plastic, and it is one of the chemicals
that produces polyurethane foam and calcium chloride.
Other common end
uses for hydrochloric acid include food manufacturing.
Steel production
Hydrochloric acid
is used in pickling operations to remove rust and other impurities from carbon,
alloy and stainless steels, to prepare the steel for final applications in car
bodies, bridges and household appliances for example.
It is also used
in aluminum etching and metal cleaning applications.
Household cleaners
Hydrochloric acid
is used as an ingredient in household cleaners such as toilet bowl
cleaners, bathroom tile cleaners and other porcelain cleaners, due
to its corrosive properties that help clean tough stains.
Pool sanitation
Hydrochloric acid
is used as a swimming pool treatment chemical,
to help maintain an optimal pH level in the water.
Food production
The food industry
uses hydrochloric acid in the processing of a variety of food products, such as
corn syrups used in soft drinks, cookies, crackers, ketchup and cereals and
other food products.
Hydrochloric acid
is also used as an acidifier in sauces, vegetable juices and canned goods, to
help enhance flavor and reduce spoilage.
Calcium chloride production
When hydrochloric
acid is mixed or reacted with limestone, it produces calcium chloride, a type
of salt used to de-ice roads.
Calcium chloride
also has uses in food production as a stabilizer and
firming agent, for example in baked goods, as well as
uses as an antimicrobial.
Safety Information
Hydrochloric acid
in its concentrated, liquid form is very corrosive and can cause damage, such
as chemical burns, upon contact, according to the U.S. National Library of Medicine.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) notes
that, hydrochloric acid can cause eye damage, even blindness, if splashed in
the eyes.
Ingestion of
concentrated hydrochloric acid can cause severe injury to the mouth, throat,
esophagus and stomach.
Some foods and
beverages contain small amounts of hydrochloric acid, but these small amounts
of hydrochloric acid are “neutralized and buffered during ingestion and digestion,
or after absorption,” according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
When using pool
cleaners with the ingredient hydrochloric acid (also known as muriatic acid),
it is important to read and follow the entire product label for safe handling.
The CDC has
developed two posters with recommendations for pool
chemical safety handling as well as storage of pool chemicals for pool owners
and operators.
Storage
Metal containers
are not suitable storage containers for hydrochloric acid due to its corrosive
nature.
Plastic
containers, such as those made of PVC (polyvinyl chloride), can be used to store
hydrochloric acid.
Learn
more about the chemistry in the products we rely on every day, including how
and why particular chemicals are used in different products, and health and
safety information about these chemicals.
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