Acids more dangerous than hydrochloric

Wednesday, July 27, 2016

AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) -- Hydrochloric acid spilled in Augusta Wednesday but it's not even close to being one of the worst acids.

According to Chemistry.about.com, here's a list of 4 acids that are considerably more dangerous, including one that dissolves your body from the inside-out and another that eats through solids.

Strong acids typically dissolve metals, but some metals are stable enough to resist the effects of acid. Aqua regia means "royal water" because this mixture of hydrochloric and nitric acid can dissolve noble metals, such as gold and platinum. Neither acid on its own can dissolve these metals.

This mixture of sulfuric acid (H2SO4) and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) devours pretty much any organic molecule it encounters. Today, this acid finds its main use in the electronics industry.

A weak acid, meaning it doesn't fully dissociate into its ions in water, but it's probably the most dangerous acid in this list because it's the one you're most likely to encounter. The acid is used to make fluorine-containing drugs, Teflon, and fluorine gas, plus it has several practical lab and industrial uses.

Many consider this acid to be the strongest superacid, able to donate a proton 20 quintillion times better than pure sulfuric acid.