[Rockhounds] attacking quartz without hydrofluoric acid

[J Bryan Kramer]

I assume you are using the bifluoride in an acidic solution, when you do
that you convert it to HF. I have always just regarded it as a safer way to
store HF. But once you mix it with acid it is hydrofluoric acid.

BK

On Dec 25, 2007 3:36 AM, Erich Kern <efkern at earthlink.net> wrote:

>
>
> I know NH4HF2 as ammonium bifluoride and have used it for years to remove
> silicate crusts from fluorite specimens. I wouldn't use hydrofluoric acid
> under any circumstances, very nasty stuff, but ammonium bifluoride is
> relatively safe. I've put my hand in a solution for a few seconds on
> occasion, but always have a bucket of fresh water at hand to rinse off
> immediately. The only protection I use are safety glasses, since as Rik
> says, you could lose an eye if the splash is copious enough. Always have
> fresh water at hand, in a bucket or the kitchen fawcet to rinse with, even
> when using milder acids like HCL. No, I'm not a trained professional
> chemist, but have learned by experience.
>
> BTW, if you wet your hand with fresh water before putting it in an acid
> solution, it helps a great deal to minimise skin irritation.
>
> Erich Kern
> Murrieta, Calif.
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: Rik Dillen
> To: 'Rockhounds at drizzle.com: A mailing list for rock and gem collectors'
> Sent: Monday, December 24, 2007 7:11 AM
> Subject: RE: [Rockhounds] attacking quartz without hydrofluoric acid
>
>
> Ammonium hydrogen fluoride (NH4)HF2 or sodium hydrogen fluoride are
> somewhat milder, but even those are extremely
> harmful substances that provoke bad burning wounds and if a drop touches
> the eye it can be lost in seconds !
> All these products should be used only by trained professional chemists !
> Greetings,
>
> Rik DILLEN
> Doornstraat 15, B-9170 Sint-Gillis-Waas
> Belgium
> E-mail rik.dillen at skynet.be
> Homepage : http://users.skynet.be/rik.dillen
>
> MINERANT 2008 - 26-27 April 2008
> Bouwcentrum (Antwerp Expo)
> Jan Van Rijswijcklaan 191 Antwerpen
> http://www.minerant.org/mka/minerantnl.html
> Mineral collector's page http://www.minerant.org/
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: rockhounds-bounces at lists.drizzle.com [mailto:
> rockhounds-bounces at lists.drizzle.com] On Behalf Of Sicree, Andrew,
> Ph.D.
> Sent: Monday, December 24, 2007 3:57 PM
> To: rockhounds at lists.drizzle.com
> Subject: [Rockhounds] attacking quartz without hydrofluoric acid
>
>
> I was wondering if anyone knew of any ways
> to get rid of quartz (such as in encrustations)
> without use of hydrofluoric acid.
>
> Andy Sicree
>
>
>
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
> ---
>
> Andrew A. Sicree, Ph.D.
> P. O. Box 10664
> State College PA 16805
> (814) 867-6263
> sicree at verizon.net
>
>
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-- 
J Bryan Kramer
North Florida, USA
photos at:
http://pbase.com/photoburner


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