Nitric Acid Common Uses and Hazards &Safety

Common Uses

Agriculture: The majority of global nitric acid is used to create ammonium nitrate for agricultural fertilizers.

Chemical Manufacturing: It is a core precursor in the production of synthetic fibers (like nylon), dyes, and pharmaceuticals.

Metal Processing: Widely used in metallurgy for cleaning, etching, and purifying metal surfaces.

Hazards & Safety

Nitric acid is extremely hazardous and must be handled with specialized protective equipment.

Contact: It causes severe, deep burns to the skin and eyes. A notable characteristic is that it stains human skin yellow upon contact through a reaction known as the xanthoproteic test.Inhalation: Fumes contain highly toxic nitrogen oxides that can cause severe lung damage or pulmonary edema.