Atomic News. Now scientists have to figure out HCl's place in Martian atmospheric chemistry. More Atomic News Articles. October 19, Restoring Coral Reefs with 3D-Printed Skeletons Complex shapes molded or 3D printed with calcium carbonate give corals a realistic structure to grow on. September 29, Putting the Nano in Medicine From drug delivery to prosthetics, this infographic explains how nanomedicine uses unique properties to prevent, diagnose, and treat medical conditions.
September 22, High-Performance Textile Batteries Made by the Spool Robust coating method produces lithium-fiber batteries that can recharge a cell phone.
September 22, Ig Nobel Prizes Scientists who studied cat chatter, compounds emitted by moviegoers, and the best way to airlift a rhinoceros took home top honors at the 31st Ig Nobel Prize ceremony.
Whether it's cleaning rusty metal, producing PVC or breaking down proteins, hydrochloric acid is the workhorse compound that simply gets on with the job. Hydrochloric acid may be responsible for uncomfortable nights when we've eaten too much and suffer the consequences of excess acid in the stomach, but that's more than compensated for by its everyday role in turning food into fuel.
And as that fuel is what gets us throught the day, I'm sure we can forgive a few sleepless nights from indigestion. That was science writer Brian Clegg with the chemistry behind the widely-used and possibly under-appreciated compound, hydrochlric acid. Now, given how much we all like to eat, next week we meet the compound at the source of all that food. It is truth probably not acknowledged enough, that we owe our existence, and the web of life that sustains us, to food produced by light.
At the bottom of nearly every tree of life, from tundra to savannah to coral reef and ocean trench, a photosynthetic organism is doing all the heavy lifting. And the molecule that makes it happen is chlorophyll. And to find out just how just how chlorophyll uses light to produce food and how this compound has also inspired centuries' worth of notable artists due to its use in a certain spirit, join Dincan McMillan in next week's Chemistry in it's element.
Until then, thank you for listening. I'm Meera Senthilingam. A DNA researcher tells the story of how humans have shaped the evolution of living things on Earth. Site powered by Webvision Cloud.
Skip to main content Skip to navigation. Related audio. Book club — Deep Sniff by Adam Zmith. Book club — Lessons from Plants by Beronda Montgomery. Hydrochloric acid. Meera Senthilingam This week, an acidic compound used throughout history, throughout industry and also by our bodies. Here's Brian Clegg: Brian Clegg Most of us first come across the trio of strong acids - hydrochloric, nitric and sulphuric - when we venture into a chemistry lab at school. Source: Portrait by Ellen Sharples, c.
Topics Chemistry in its Element: Compounds Podcasts. Latest audio. Hydrochloric acid is also used as an acidifier in sauces, vegetable juices and canned goods, to help enhance flavor and reduce spoilage. 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.
Hydrochloric acid is used in the production of batteries, photoflash bulbs and fireworks. It is also used in leather processing, building and construction, oil well acidizing and producing gelatin products. Hydrochloric acid in its concentrated, liquid form has a strong irritating odor and is very corrosive.
It can cause damage, such as chemical burns, upon contact, according to the U. National Library of Medicine. The U. 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.
Personal protective equipment PPE such as vapor respirators, rubber gloves, splash goggles and face shields should be used when handling hydrochloric acid. If used in the workplace, it is recommended that an eye flush station be available in case of accidental exposure. When using pool cleaners that contain hydrochloric acid also known as muriatic acid , it is important to follow directions on the 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. Metal containers are not suitable storage containers for hydrochloric acid due to its corrosive nature.
Plastic containers, such as those made of PVC , can typically be used to store hydrochloric acid. The food industry uses hydrochloric acid to process a variety of food products.
0コメント