FMF - Friends of Minerals Forum, discussion and message board

[chris]

And to complete just in case, oxalic acid can cause calculus (don't know if it is the proper medical word) if absorbed. So handle it with care in a ventilated room.

I think Tracy knows much better than I do on this part, so correct me Tracy if I'm wrong.

Christophe

[GneissWare]

Like any other chemical one uses, one should always review the safety data so the hazards and precautions are known. Oxalic acid is a poison but the dose is high. Following common sense precautions, like wearing gloves, goggles when using acids, not breathing in powders, will get you a long way on the safety front.

For oxalic acid you can review info at:
https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/docs/81-123/pdfs/0474.pdf
(link normalized by FMF)

[Tracy]

Hi Chris -

"Causing (renal) calculi" is another way of saying "causing kidney stones." And this is correct with oxalic acid. Oxalic acid is also severely irritating and corrosive at high doncentrations, and fatal at ingested doses as low as 5 grams (is that a high dose?). Read up on the chemical hazards and follow good safety procedures, as Bob suggests. This is good practice when handling any unfamiliar chemical.

- Tracy

[robynahawk]

Thanks to everyone for your responses - I think I have enough to give it a go.

...and a big thanks to Barbie90 for starting this thread! ;)

Robyn

[ellencmoe]

Excellent advice to use distilled water. The first time I used oxalic acid, I used southern California tap water and forgot to check on the quartz points I was soaking for over a month. By that time, they were totally encrusted and after numerous attempts to re-clean them, I just had to throw them out.

[barbie90]

ı used nitric acid on my corundums,ı wanted to solve mica schists but it didnt work or its coated with something else