Storing Aqua Fortis and Iron Nitrate

[Elnathan]

Maybe a dumb question, but:

How do people store this stuff? I would like to give it a try on a wooden sheath I have sitting around waiting for me to finish it, but I've shied away from buying it in part because I don't have a way of storing it outside the living area and have been worried about the effect of the fumes on tools, lungs, etc. I need to be able to store it long-term, as I don't make enough stuff fast enough to use it up quickly and it is too expensive to buy for one project and discard the remainder.

Nitric acid, before having iron dissolved in it, is pretty corrosive, I believe. Is iron nitrate, such as the stuff that Kibler sells, still corrosive? Do you folks who mix your own solutions just mix in enough iron to neutralize the acid when you first get it, or do you have some way of storing the acid so the fumes aren't a problem?

Related question: Does iron nitrate and nitric acid go bad, and if so how long do they last?

[Dennis Glazener]

I have a glass bottle, probably 8-10 oz. the remains maybe 2-3 oz sitting on a shelf in my shop. It has a regular metal cap on it and no evidence of deterioration on the cap. I have had that bottle for at least 5 years.
Never had any problems with the small bottles of Laurel Mountain Forge Barrel Brown which is close to Aqua Fortis.
Dennis

[wattlebuster]

I store mine in a glass jar that has a plastic lid. I then put this in a gallon size ziplock bag. So far it lasted for 10 yrs or so.

[smart dog]

Hi,
I think it will store for a long time.  Ferric nitrate from crystals is weakly acidic, not like AF containing nitric acid.  However, I don't buy it mixed.  If you buy a container of ferric nitrate crystals from the Science Company, you can mix up just enough for a gun at a time, experiment with different concentrations, dissolve it in water, alcohol, or some other medium, etc. 

dave

[tallbear]

I store mine in mason jars in my shop.Once made it's not very acidic .Never had any issues.The full strength acid I store in my garage.

Mitch

[heinz]

High strength Nitric Acid is super corrosive. It earns its “aqua fortis” name. Fumes from the bottle will corrode any metal in the shop they contact. A mason car of nitric acid will have the metal lid corroded and leaking acid fumes into the shop in less than six months. Making ferric nitrate from the acid will generate toxic nitrous and nitric oxide fumes. Very dangerous operation requiring good ventilation and acid diluted before you start. Add acid to the water NOT water to the concentrated acid.
It is safest and easiest to just start with ferric nitrate crystals and mix as a batch as you need it.  But sone of us just have to do it the okd way😊

[Ky-Flinter]

I have some "full strength" Nitric Acid a friend gave me.  I store it in the clear glass jug with plastic cap it came in.  The jug is in a cushioned cardboard box in my utility room.  I have mixed several batches of stain with it.  Pay heed to Heinz's advice on mixing the stuff.  I store my homebrew AF stains in 8oz. and 16oz. brown glass medicine bottles with plastic tops that I bought at a local compounding pharmacy.  Never had any trouble.

Ditto on "some of us just have to do it the old way."

-Ron

[Joe S]

Nitric acid and solutions of iron nitrate should be stored out of direct sunlight. I would keep iron nitrate crystals out of sunlight as well. If properly stored, I'd think they would be stable for as long as any of us will be building guns, and probably a lot longer than that.

[smart dog]

Hi Jose,
I really like the saying at the bottom of your posts.  It is just such an "in the present" kind of thought.

dave

[KentSmith]

Don't ferric nitrate crystals in metal.  I have stored them in the plastic container they came in for years without problem, put of sunlight of course.  Mixed nitrate stain I keep in glass gars with plastic caps and it seems to last for years.

I had a liter of nitric acid when I made my stain "the old way"  Had it about 5 years in the glass jar it came in, with the bakelite cap and cushioned box.  I finally had about 200 ml left and decided to use it up.  The cap had been eaten away. Scary stuff.