Muriatic acid + water

[tcat]

Need a chemical geek. When you mix MA with water, does it stay totally mixed, or does the acid float to top? I use a 4:1 mix in a 15 gallon drum to feed with Stenner. After 4 or 5 weeks, the daily injection seems to be getting stronger. Is that possible? Or has my need for MA decreased?

 

[Lake Placid]

Just a thought, is your TA moving down slowing your PH rise?

 

[tcat]

Just a thought, is your TA moving down slowing your PH rise?

Yes, about 75 now.

 

[Lake Placid]

As your TA drops the amount of acid to effect a downward change would lessen some and the length of time between adjustments would increase some. If you stay at a static dosing schedule without accounting for the change it could give the appearance of stronger acid.

 

[proavia]

I'm pretty sure it stays mixed. And MA is heavier than water, so if it were to separate it would sink to the bottom.

When you add the MA to the water in the 15 gallon drum, do you mix it in?
Always remember to add acid to water, not the other way around.

 

[tcat]

Yes, I add 8g water then 2g acid, stir with piece of PVC. Easy to tweak if pH gets too low, I just add a gallon of two of water. I was just curious if they mix well.

 

[proavia]

Yes, I add 8g water then 2g acid, stir with piece of PVC. Easy to tweak if pH gets too low, I just add a gallon of two of water. I was just curious if they mix well.

If they didn't, MA would be floating on the surface of the pool - especially for those of us that add manually directly from the MA jug.

 

[JamesW]

Hydrogen chloride is a gas mixed in water.

Concentrated hydrochloric acid is a very volatile chemical at room temperature.

So, if anything, the acid can lose strength by offgassing hydrogen chloride gas, which is what you can smell when you are working with it.

Upon dissolution, HCl reacts with water molecules to produce a mixture of hydronium ions (H₃O⁺) and chloride ions (Cl^-).

H2O + HCl_(g) ⇄ H₃O⁺ + Cl^-

Concentrated grades are considered 35-38 wt% HCl and are considered fuming hydrochloric acid due to the release of HCl gas from the solution.

I don’t think that the acid will naturally stratify.

It should stay well mixed and dispersed.

For most storage situations, the acid should have a mostly indefinite shelf life.