I have just begun writing a Glass Bulletin for you to use in marketing. It is being published now in the Glass Smart Blog. Please feel free to copy and paste any of the information. It has been designed with your customers in mind. In fact I will be making an attempt to focus much more on getting this information out to the general public through the Google search engine and others. In order to dramatically increase the readership. All of the much more detailed technical information you will find in the blog at www.glass-smart.blogspot.com There are going to be some very interesting diagrams, photos, and videos posted. All of this information you will be able to use in marketing your business by showing it to your customers and potential customers right from your phone, tablet, or computer.
What about other acids such as hydrochloric or phosphoric, I know from research that phosphoric acid will not damage glass unless over 200°C, not sure about hydrochloric acid which people use frequently.
That is one of the best questions I have been asked so far! I first began many many moons ago developing foolproof tests for the reaction of different acids with glass surfaces. It started with only a few. Now I have several. There are only two explained in the Glass Smart Blog. Here are the links.
I have more that I will be writing about soon. But the interesting thing is that while the effects of the acids “can be” quite similar depending on which test it is, the actual chemistry that defines the reaction is specific to that particular acid. In other words different acids do almost the same thing but in different ways. To more directly answer your question (sorry), there are specific acids that have gained a tremendous reputation for being destructive to glass surfaces, defoliate trees, and slough off human skin. Of these hydrofluoric is likely number one. That is NOT hydrochloric but hydrofluoric with an F. I have had difficulty getting any reactions to hydrochloric with a C. At least for the two tests linked here. Usually these other chemicals require much higher temps and humidity. Sulfuric and ammoniumbifluoride do have a hunger for glass. But then always remember that the water molecule alone will react with glass surfaces. This reaction goes into hyperdrive when the relative humidity (RH) goes beyond 90%.
Steve,
Please come back to me on old fashioned email. I would like to continue this conversation on another level.
Thanx for your question.
