The SDS lists concentration at 98%!
Z430115_SDS_I.pdf (340.7 KB)
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Not PVC?
I would add “respirator” to the gloves and eye protection. And maybe a liking for philately instead.
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Holy crap, and the density matches for 98% Sulfuric Acid, too. Is there room for more than trace quantities of the “corrosion inhibitors, plugging agents, dyes, surfactants.” that it claims to also have in it?
Man, pouring this into a wet drain seems all kind of wrong. Especially in a confined space.
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Bon Appetit!
The drain will be clear afterwards, though. If the blockage is organic, then it’ll rip its way through it in the same way it reduced (ha) the sugar to a mass of carbon. However, if the pipework is made of aluminium, prepare for the drain to be very clear.
Also- oblig:
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What, postdocs? Yeah, they sure can cause trouble.
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Same theory with hot oil. As my turkey-frying neighbor now knows all too well.
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HDPE or ABS. PVC gets used for water supply, but not drain (hopefully!).
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In the 80s, we did this one in school!
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Triple A: Always Add Acid. Just not to your car.
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“let’s try a bigger container”
These are my kinda people!
My high school chemistry teacher (in about 1970) demonstrated something like this, then let us pass the carbon column around the class to examine it more closely. Shortly after, one of my female classmates let out a scream & we all saw her looking in horror at her nylon hose, disintegrating into shreds on her legs. The carbon crumbs dropping off of the column apparently carried some significant remnants of the acid.
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“Here lies Jill, still and placid / she added water to the acid”
and/or
“Clever Jane did as she oughta / she added acid to the water”
The more general rule for mixing concentrated sulfuric acid with stuff in your home is “how about don’t”.
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I can’t think of any practical applications where I need volume expansion and heat.
If you want something relatively safer but showy, “elephant toothpaste” is a thing.
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No matter how much sugar you add, though, it’s still going to taste like drain cleaner.
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over here, the grey pvc water pipes are called ‘drain pipes’ (translated). And as far as I know they are used a lot for drains.
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Aaah the famous “balck sausage” experiment. Brings back fond memories of my high school lab. Of course, to a bunch of 15 year old boys, it looks entirely like something out of a porno, but that’s high school for ya!
Man, I’m wearing out the heart button on this thread. Awesome.
I can’t believe they sell 98% sulfuric acid as drain cleaner. Boggle, indeed.
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The version of this we did in high school chemistry reeked of burned raisins and stunk up the room for hours (middle of winter, windows wide open, didn’t make a lick of difference…). We could only wish it had smelled as pleasant as caramel.
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