Is sulfuric acid safe on plastic pipes?
About Sulfuric Acid used as a Drain Cleaner
it is safe to use with plastic piping. Sulfuric acid is very simple to use and will unclog a drain within an hour, usually within seconds if it's not completely plugged up.
PVC is resistant to many alcohols, fats, oils and aromatic free petrol. It is also resistant to most common corroding agents including inorganic acids, alkalis and salts. However, PVC should not be used with esters, ketones, ethers and aromatic or chlorinated hydrocarbons.
[ABS, PVC, HIPS] => Acetone and Methyl Ethyl Ketone [MEK aka 2-Butanone] will dissolve both ABS and PVC and chemically rebuild the joint in a less ordered manner as the solvents dries.
It's best to avoid acidic chemical cleaners that contain sulfuric acid or hydrochloric acid. Both can cause damage to drains, pipes, and tanks. These types of cleaners should be used only by a professional.
As the plastic bottle starts to melt, the weight of the sulfuric acid solution pushes against the bottle and expands the plastic. As the bottle expands, the plastic becomes thinner and will melt faster until it ruptures.
PTFE (polytetrafluoroethylene)
Being chemically inert, PTFE can withstand even the most corrosive environments, resisting most types of acids.To learn about the misconceptions and preconceived notions surrounding PTFE, check out our article: 4 Myths about Teflon.
Oxidizers, acids, and caustics are examples of drain cleaners that can cause PVC pipes to melt or become soft. Sulfuric acid and hydrochloric acid are the active ingredients of acid cleaners.
One of the most harmful things for PVC pipes is sun exposure. PVC that is run above ground and exposed to sunlight can break down faster than it normally would. The ultraviolet rays from the sun can actually break down the structure of PVC material and make it brittle and breakable.
Past studies have found that ammonia formed in chloramine-treated water can trigger a series of events that corrode brass faucet components and connectors commonly used in PVC plumbing systems.
PVC is resistant to acid, alkali and almost all inorganic chemicals. Although PVC swells or dissolves in aromatic hydrocarbons, ketones, and cyclic ethers, PVC is hard to dissolve in other organic solvents.
Can muriatic acid dissolve PVC?
Muriatic acid may not hurt PVC or other drain lines, but it is much too aggressive for monthly maintenance and it is potentially dangerous to use if not careful.
Answer: Bleach or sodium hypochlorite solutions contain some caustic to help stabilize the chlorine. What is happening is that over time the bleach and caustic solutions are dissolving the PVC glue. Many PVC glues contain fumed silica, very small glasslike particles used to thicken the glue.
Sulfuric Acid reacts violently with ALCOHOL and WATER to release HEAT and will also react violently or explosively with ORGANIC MATERIALS; COMBUSTIBLES; STRONG BASES (such as SODIUM HYDROXIDE and POTASSIUM HYDROXIDE); REDUCING AGENTS (such as LITHIUM, SODIUM, ALUMINUM and their HYDRIDES); and OXIDIZING AGENTS (such as ...
When sulfuric acid drain opener is poured down the drain, it begins working immediately. It reacts with whatever it contacts as it makes its way through the pipes. In some cases, the acid can begin producing extreme heat and gases (an exothermic reaction). This heat will often cause the water in the pipes to boil.
Concentrated Sulfuric Acid, a strong acid, should not be mixed with Concentrated Sodium Hydroxide, a strong base. Excessive heat and liquid explosion. Note: Highly concentrated acids and bases when mixed together will have a much more hazardous reaction than weak acids and bases.
Some common plastics that are resistant to strong sulphuric (>98%) acid are things like teflon, viton and HDPE. Some that aren't resistant are things like nylon, nitrile, epoxy and polyesters.
Hydrofluoric acid attacks the silicon oxide in most types of glass. It also dissolves many metals (not nickel or its alloys, gold, platinum, or silver), and most plastics.
Plastic contains some contents which are considered as a resistance for the Hydrochloric acid, so hydrochloric acid does not dissolve plastic.
High Silicon—The high-silicon irons, such as Duriron and Corrosiron exhibit excellent resistance to all concentrations of sulfuric acid up to and including boiling temperatures.
Bottom Line: CPVC is the Ideal Solution for Sulfuric Acid Applications.
What kind of container can hold sulfuric acid?
Polyethylene HDPE & XLPE Sulfuric Acid Tanks
The most common containers used for storing sulfuric acid solution quantities less than 10,000 gallons are high-density polyethylene (HDPE) tanks.
Such acids can be dangerous to your health and they can actually damage your pipes if they interact with them chemically. Instead, use safer methods like white vinegar and sodium bicarbonate, a drain snake, or a plunger. If your drain doesn't clear up using these safe DIY methods, call a plumber.
Certain water treatment plant chemicals, including chlorine and ferric chloride, can cause stress corrosion, which can lead to CPVC and PVC pipe failures.
PVC pipes occasionally fail due several reasons including: Defective pipe manufacture – The main manufacturing defects that cause PVC pipes to fail include incomplete resin fusion, incomplete fusion of extrusion knit lines (also called “weld lines” or “spider-lines”), and inhomogeneity of the filler content.
So whether a plant is using acids such as sulfuric, hydrochloric, nitric or phosphoric acid, or bases including caustic (NaOH), magnesium hydroxide and calcium hydroxide (lime), CPVC has proven to be compatible.
In fact, baking soda and vinegar are two of the safest and most effective ways to clean pipes. They will not cause any damage to PVC pipes and can actually help to keep them clean and clear of blockages. So, if you have PVC pipes in your home, feel free to use baking soda and vinegar to clean your drains.
PEs are not resistant to strong oxidizing agents such as nitric acid, fuming sulfuric acid or halogens.
Thus, boiling water can soften PVC pipes. If the water is under pressure, the boiling point of PVC pipes goes down to just 140 degrees Fahrenheit. Besides boiling water, there're certain chemical components in drain cleaners that can soften or melt PVC pipes.
Cyclohexanone, cyclopentanone, and THF dissolved PVC completely and thus can be considered excellent solvents, while DMF and MEK were found to exhibit satisfactory performances. Both THF and MEK are used frequently when PVC needs to be dissolved [17–19].
Because of its corrosive nature, Drano can cause toilet bowls to crack, PVC pipes to melt or break and the glue that holds pipes together can be eaten away. If any of these things happen, you're going to be left with an inoperable plumbing system and costly repairs.
Does alcohol dissolve PVC?
With cotton or linen, it is used in the production of canvas. Pure polyvinyl chloride is a white, brittle solid. It is insoluble in alcohol but slightly soluble in tetrahydrofuran.
Acetone swells PVC very rapidly but reaches a limit in swelling. This limit suggests a crosslinked network. Acetone apparently enters only the amorphous PVC and does not destroy the crystallites which act as crosslinks. For this reason acetone-swelled then sheared specimens were used to assess the structure of PVC.
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PVC Chemical Compatibility Guide.
| Chemical | Tolerance/Effect |
|---|---|
| Hydrogen Gas | A2-Excellent |
| Hydrogen Peroxide 10% | A1-Excellent |
| Hydrogen Peroxide 100% | A-Excellent |
| Hydrogen Peroxide 30% | A1-Excellent |
For PVC glue that has started to set, you'll need to use acetone on a clean cloth to wipe it away. When the glue has been allowed to fully dry on the PVC pipe, you'll need to use a special solvent to break down and loosen up that bond.
The most common method to clean the manufacturer's ink markings from the surface of PVC pipe is to use Acetone to break up and dilute the ink. The ink is a complex formula that is applied by way of a pipe printer directly to the pipe.
Muriatic acid may not hurt PVC or other drain lines, but it is much too aggressive for monthly maintenance and it is potentially dangerous to use if not careful.
Hydrochloric acid and sulfuric acid react excessively with water when mixed together. The chemical reaction is excessive such that even attempting to dilute these chemicals with water would lead to more problems. Adding water will thereby generate more heat and damage the PVC pipes.
Hydrofluoric acid attacks the silicon oxide in most types of glass. It also dissolves many metals (not nickel or its alloys, gold, platinum, or silver), and most plastics.
During the colder months, bleach should not be used for drain lines that are made of PVC or ABS plastic. Chlorine bleach can quickly eat away at not only the line but the glue and cement joining the line to the fittings and the condensation pan.
The pipes freeze and thaw causing expansion.
When water turns into a solid, it expands. This results in high tensional-based forces within the pipe. Once the pressure becomes too immense, it will burst.
What chemical do plumbers use to unclog drains?
Among the most common ingredients in anti-clog solutions is the Hydrochloric acid (HCI). Also known as muriatic acid, this power chemical is highly effective in dissolving any buildup in the pipes.
Because of its corrosive nature, Drano can cause toilet bowls to crack, PVC pipes to melt or break and the glue that holds pipes together can be eaten away. If any of these things happen, you're going to be left with an inoperable plumbing system and costly repairs.