Acetic acid

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I just mixed pure acetic acid with an equal amount of kalk in my bedroom. The smell of vinegar was seriously potent. I took the mixture outside into the garden but got complaints from everyone in the house about the lingering vinegar smell.

What was released from this reaction that caused it to mix with the air so violently?
 
Acetic acid as vinegar or as pure, glacial acetic acid?

Concentrated acetic acid is dangerous to handle.
 
It was glacial acetic acid that is 99.9% pure.


That explains the very strong vinegar smell.

Concentrated acetic acid such as the one you used will release a very strong vapor.

That vapor and also the acetic acid you used is highly corrosive and dangerous.

Furthermore, mixing a concentrated/strong acid with a base such as calcium hydroxide will result in heat being released, sometimes that can go wrong.


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acetic_acid


Potential Acute Health Effects:
Very hazardous in case of skin contact (irritant), of eye contact (irritant), of ingestion, of inhalation. Hazardous in case of skin contact (corrosive, permeator), of eye contact (corrosive). Liquid or spray mist may produce tissue damage particularly on mucous membranes of eyes, mouth and respiratory tract. Skin contact may produce burns. Inhalation of the spray mist may produce severe irritation of respiratory tract, characterized by coughing, choking, or shortness of breath. Inflammation of the eye is characterized by redness, watering, and itching. Skin inflammation is characterized by itching, scaling, reddening, or, occasionally, blistering.


from the following MSDS:
http://www.sciencelab.com/msds.php?msdsId=9922769
 
That was very dangerous. We've talked about this kind of stuff before. Please please please please please don't be doing this kind of stuff at home. Just mixing random chemicals together without any knowledge of what they are going to do is a recipe for disaster. At least come here and run this kind of stuff past Habib, Randy, or myself. You are going to end up seriously hurting yourself or someone else.
 
and that's not mentioning what those vapors did to your lungs. And the lungs of your friends.

Concentrated acetic acid should only be used like that in a chem hood. Or something with forced ventilation at the very least.
 
Thanks for the advice.

The mixture has formed a nice, firm dough like consistency which is what I wanted and expected.

I only mixed a small amount of acetic acid and kalk together (about 150ml total vol). What was actually emitted into the air from the acetic acid to cause the strong scent?
 
Calcium acetate.

Why does acetic acid evaporate into the atmosphere so readily?

In concentrated acetic acid the only attractions are between acetic acid molecules. That attraction is not so strong, so they let each other easily go from the liquid state into the air as a gas/vapor.


FWIW, I would no longer use the concentrated acetic acid and should be stored safely and far away from children.

Is it in a glass bottle? If it falls and breaks then that is an extremely life threatening situation.

Same if a plastic bottle with the cap open falls/flips.
 
Calcium acetate.

Why does acetic acid evaporate into the atmosphere so readily?

Let's go ahead and learn some chemistry while you're here.


You used 150ml of saturated kalk water and 150ml of glacial acetic? Or added it directly to the kalk powder?


How much calcium acetate did that make?


Do you know what I mean when I use the word mole? (hint: It's not an animal)



Did you convert all of the calcium hydroxide in the reaction?



Did you use up all of the acetic acid in the reaction?
 
Thanks Habib.

The acid is in a plastic container which was delivered from a lab. I just checked the magnesium/acetate mixture again and it has formed solid calcium acetate. I add acetate to my aquarium daily to feed bacteria.

Acetic acid can be mixed with various essential elements that are consumed and depleted by organisms. I currently add about 2 grams of magnesium acetate a day. I decided to make calcium acetate tonight. I plan to make other acetate compounds to replenish various trace elements.
 
I keep it simple when making calcium acetate (as a carbon source with the added benefit of a higher ph and adding calc/allk to the aquarium at the same time as carbon dosing): i mix about 1/2 cup of lime into 1 gallon of vinegar...I know almost nothing about chemistry though, thats what I'm doing right?
 
I personally dilute glacial acetic acid to 10% and use it as concentrated vinegar .

never tried to add it to other chemicals but just RO water. add it to another chemical is more dangerous I agree that you should come here to ask some professionals. Chemical is serious, chemical is dangerous.
 
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