Nitric Acid

Nitric acid is a clear colorless or yellowish liquid with a suffocating odor and generates fumes. It is very toxic by inhalation and corrosive to metals and tissue. Nitric acid is very soluble in water. On exposure to heat nitric acid decomposes to nitrogen oxide and hydrogen nitrate.

Nitric acid is a highly oxidizing agent and reacts violently with combustible or readily oxidizable materials. Nitric acid has a concentration of 68%. Nitric acid is a strong acid with a pH of 1 and a specific gravity of 1.41.

Nitric acid is used as an oxidizer in liquid – fueled rockets, its used in the manufacture of explosives, as a laboratory reagent, its aqueous blend is used for cleaning food and dairy equipment, in colorimetric test.