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- Acid dissociation constant
- Acid-base extraction
- Acid-base reaction
- Acid-base physiology
- Acid-base homeostasis
- Dissociation constant
- Acidity function
- Buffer solutions
- pH
- Proton affinity
- Self-ionization of water
- Acids:
- Lewis acids
- Mineral acids
- Organic acids
- Strong acids
- Superacids
- Weak acids
- Bases:
A mineral acid is an acid derived by chemical reaction from inorganic minerals, as opposed to organic acids. These have hydrogen(s) atoms covalently bonded with an anion, such as sulfate, or chloride, depending on the charge of the anion.
Characteristics
Mineral acids range from acids of great strength (example: sulfuric acid) to very weak (boric acid). As mineral acid molecules tend to consist of only a few atoms, of which many are polar, they tend to be very soluble in water, and insoluble in organic solvents. Mineral acids are very important to chemical procedures.
These acids are most often used in large-scale industries. For example, a dilute solution of hydrochloric acid is used for removing the deposits from the inside of boilers, with precautions taken to prevent the corrosion of the boiler by the acid. This process is known as de-scaling. These acids are also used in many sectors of the chemical industry. They are essential to organic and inorganic synthesis as well as formulations of household and industrial products. Therefore, large quantities of these acids, especially sulfuric acid, nitric acid and hydrochloric acid are manufactured for commercial use in large plants.
Examples
- Hydrochloric acid
- Nitric acid
- Phosphoric acid
- Sulfuric acid
- Boric acid
- Hydrofluoric acid
- Hydrobromic acid
External links
- Mineral Acids: Reregistration Eligibility Decision Fact Sheet – U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
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- This page was last modified on 23 December 2008, at 10:25.
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