Where can you buy Hydrochloric acid in the UK?

[Jim2007]

Hello,
i am in the UK, and i need some Hydrochloric/Muriatic acid, for a reasonable price, and i am struggling to find any.

Of course, the Americans just say to go to the hardware store and buy it for $5 a gallon, but that does not seem to work here?

Any suggestions much appreciated.

 

[James1979]

Builder merchant. It’s used as brick cleaner.

Welcome by the way

 

[S-Rail]

EBay , about £15 for 5 litres , 15% strength , I used it for cleaning a couple of old abused mixers .. works well but nasty . It’s also stronger than off the shelf brick acid / cleaner .

 

[Melvyn Best]

Ask at your local car hand wash, the one local to me would buy it in 200 lt drums

 

[James1979]

Ask at your local car hand wash, the one local to me would buy it in 200 lt drums

Alloy cleaner?

 

[Kram]

Why do you need hydrochloric? There are much cheaper and easier to get acids, if its just for cleaning metal, for example.

 

[James1979]

As an aside, I find it’s brilliant for stripping plasma dross and mill scale off parts pre paint.

You need to then dunk it in a bath of alkaline to neutralise it but it’s far easier than grinding away for ages

 

[500e]

Industrial Chemicals - Chemical Cleaning -

We are an industrial chemicals and chemical cleaning solutions company which has been in operation for more than 25 years. As such, we have an authoritative and influential command of the marketplace, being one of the leading manufacturers and suppliers.

www.jennychem.com

Don't know about price but delivery very good seems to be a no hassle Co

 

[Maker]

I can recommend APC Pure, I've bought solvents and acids through them before.

 

[MetalMonkey]

A strong acetic acid (vinegar) also works very well. Not as quickly as Hydrochloric / Muriatic acid, but you also don't have any of the drawbacks - great if you are not in a rush.

+1 for APC Pure - used them before but couldn't remember the name.

 

[tigdlo]

I use this, https://www.toolstation.com/bostik-concentrated-mortar-brick-cleaner/p98902

SDS says Hydrochloric Acid Weight % 10-<20

 

[arian]

I think it was on here I read some varieties of Harpic contain 9% HCl eg
Harpic Power Plus Max Toilet Cleaner Citrus 750ml £1.25

 

[Sergei Slovenija]

Oh wonderful world. Any local store sells 20% and 30% hydrochloric acid for domestic use. And phosphoric acid. The water is saturated with calcium (Karst Plateau - named after the area in Slovenia), all plumbing is overgrown with deposits, and in the toilet bowl I recently found "ice" of calcium, it jammed the float. But sulfuric acid, even for batteries, can only be bought by legal entities, filling out mountains of paperwork.

 

[Seadog]

It's the same here. 3% sulphuric is the strongest the man-in-the-street can buy.

 

[Johnnybravo]

It's the same here. 3% sulphuric is the strongest the man-in-the-street can buy.

Been used as fake eyelash remover too often…

 

[Sergei Slovenija]

It's the same here. 3% sulphuric is the strongest the man-in-the-street can buy.

In general, you can’t buy sulfuric acid, in any form, otherwise I could thicken it by increasing the concentration. For small galvanic experiments, you will have to issue a license.

With hydrochloric acid, in theory, you can make sulfuric acid, but this is a long fuss.

 

[Maker]

With hydrochloric acid, in theory, you can make sulfuric acid, but this is a long fuss.

I bought some sulphuric acid before the ban and always wanted to make nitric acid from it, but the thought of actually distilling it over filled me with dread so I never did. Then they made it illegal to even own sulphuric acid, so, before the forum lawyers descend upon me, I cleaned the drains with it.

 

[Seadog]

In general, you can’t buy sulfuric acid, in any form, otherwise I could thicken it by increasing the concentration. For small galvanic experiments, you will have to issue a license.

With hydrochloric acid, in theory, you can make sulfuric acid, but this is a long fuss.

Cheaper to buy a retort

 

[fizzy]

As a schoolboy I bought 5L of fuming nitric acid from a local chemical company. I was out for my lunch break - carried it home in my Adidas bag
That was before I was banned from buying chemicals - headmaster and a copper took me around every chemist and chemical supply company in the area and told them not to serve this boy with chemicals
Happy Days I would be locked up and the key thrown away these days

 

[fizzy]

Be careful with HCL - gives off very nasty fumes - use only in well ventilated areas or with a full face gas mask.