No, this is not a chemistry lecture. But you having come to this article may mean that you are in need of some information about a chemical product, specifically nitric acid. If you can still remember from your chemistry class, the chemical formula of the substance is NHO3. However, you might have been so preoccupied with these formulas that you might have missed what the substance is all about and what are its uses in our society.

One of the laboratory processes used for many years is composed of heating potassium nitrate with concentrated sulfuric acid and this process is ascribed to a German chemist named Johann Rudolf Glauber. Moreover, a common commercial production of nitric acid is the Ostwald process. It was another German chemist named Wilhelm Ostwald that developed the method, where ammonia gas is oxidized to nitric oxide and nitrogen dioxide through air or oxygen in the presence of a platinum gauze catalyst. Consequently, the nitrogen dioxide is absorbed in water, thus forming nitric acid.

Now let us take a look at some of the characteristics of the substance. To start, it is highly corrosive, it is a toxic strong acid, and it tends to emit hazardous flames. It is also a strong oxidizing agent, which makes it react violently with several organic materials and these reactions can be explosive.

With these properties, you may get the idea that it is one dangerous substance. Yes, it can be dangerous if not used properly and responsibly. In storing the substance, make sure that its storage area is cool, dry, and well-ventilated. It is also important to properly label its container so as to avoid accidents such as ingestion of the substance. When using it, it is strongly recommended to wear safety glasses, and the kinds of gloves that are suitable when you are handling solutions with concentrations of up to 70% including butyl rubber, neoprene, and polyethylene.

Furthermore, nitric acid is not just another substance that you encounter and study in chemistry. It is actually used in many different industries. For instance, it is useful in agriculture as it is used in the preparation of fertilizers such as ammonium nitrate. As you might have already known, fertilizers help increase food production. Another chief use of the substance is in the production of explosives such as nitroglycerine and trinitrotoluene (T.N.T.). Likewise, did you know that when the substance is mixed with hydrochloric acid, aqua regia is formed, one of the rare reagents that is capable of dissolving metals as important as gold and platinum? Other known uses of the chemical product include the manufacture of perfumes, dyes, fungicides, and certain drugs, and it is likewise used to reprocess spent nuclear fuels.

Probably, one of your concerns with the substance is whether it has environmental and health implications. With regards to environmental concerns, the highly reactive properties of the substance prevent it from building up in plant or animal tissues. Moreover, it has certain health effects when inhaled as a vapor, when it comes into contact with the skin and eyes, and when it is intentionally or accidentally ingested. Inhalation of the substance tends to cause dryness of the throat and nasal passages, cough, shortness of breath, chest pain, and difficulty in breathing. Constant exposure to the chemical product, on the other hand, can damage the lungs as well as erode the outer coating or enamel from teeth. If it comes into contact with the skin, it can result to burns, blisters, ulcers, and permanent scarring. When it is swallowed, it can result to burns in the mouth, throat, and stomach, and even death.

Thus, with the health implications of nitric acid, great care must be taken when handling and using it.