My Nitric Acid Pump Job
Alright, so I had this task a while back involving nitric acid. Needed to move some from a big jug into a couple of smaller containers for a project. Pouring that stuff? No way. Too risky, fumes everywhere, potential spills. Just not worth it. So, I decided to get a proper pump made for this kind of nasty stuff.
Went online, found one that looked sturdy enough and specifically mentioned compatibility with acids like nitric. Didn’t want the thing dissolving halfway through, you know? When it arrived, I took it out, looked it over. Seemed pretty basic, just a hand-operated siphon type pump. Good old manual labor, less to go wrong electronically with corrosive fumes around, I figured.
Getting Started
First thing first, safety gear. Thick gloves, the proper kind, not just latex. Goggles, tight-fitting ones. And an old apron. Did this outside in a well-ventilated area, away from anything important the fumes or a potential drip could damage. Better safe than sorry, especially with nitric.
- Set up the big jug on a stable surface.
- Placed the smaller, empty container nearby, maybe slightly lower if possible, helps the siphon action.
- Checked the pump tubes, made sure they were seated tight on the pump body.
- Carefully unscrewed the cap on the big nitric acid jug. Fumes, yeah, gotta be mindful.
The Pumping Part
Okay, here we go. I slowly lowered the rigid intake tube into the nitric acid jug. Got it well below the surface. Then, put the flexible outlet tube into the mouth of the smaller container I was filling. Had to hold it there steady.
Started squeezing the bulb on the pump. Took a few good squeezes to get the flow going. You gotta be patient, don’t rush it. Once the siphon started, the acid began flowing smoothly through the tube. Watched it like a hawk. The clear tube helped see the liquid moving. It wasn’t super fast, which honestly, I preferred. Gave me more control.
Filled the first small container to where I needed it. To stop the flow, I just needed to lift the intake tube out of the acid in the main jug. That breaks the siphon pretty quick. Let the remaining acid in the tube drain into the small container.
Repeat and Clean Up
Had another container to fill, so repeated the process. Put the intake tube back in the main jug, outlet tube in the second empty container, squeezed the bulb again to restart the siphon, filled it up, stopped it the same way.
Once done, this is the tricky part. Carefully removed the outlet tube from the last container. Then slowly pulled the intake tube out of the big acid jug, trying not to drip everywhere. Had a bucket of water right there. Immediately dunked the end of the intake tube and the outlet tube in the water to rinse off any residual acid on the outside. Gave the pump body a quick, careful wipe-down with a damp cloth (wearing gloves still, obviously).
Put the caps back on all the acid containers, tight. Stored the pump away safely after letting it air dry a bit. Whole process took maybe 15-20 minutes. Way better, cleaner, and felt a heck of a lot safer than trying to pour that stuff by hand. Job done.