Where the
world gathers for metal finishing
Q&As since 1989


-----

Reclamation Service for Concentrated Sulfuric Acid

We have about 2000 gallons of 97% sulfuric acid removed from a tank leak recently. It is now being temporarily stored in a S/S tank. Would prefer to reuse it in cleaning machines, rather than anything else. Is there a service company in NE that anyone has used, that could come in and filter this to 5 micron level? Only contaminants would be concrete dust, or iron rust, neither a problem, we think.

W. Carl Erickson
- Rome, New York
2000

I'm answering my own inquiry as a source of reference to anyone finding themselves in a similar bind with dirty sulfuric acid. Contact Dupont, at Chambers Works, Deepwater, NJ, or your local environmental services company.

W. Carl Erickson
- Rome, New York
2000

---

2000

Hi Carl,

Pardon my abysmal ignorance but I would have thought that the standard (so-to-speak) tubular filters would have worked l000% except for one small thing ... these PP filters don't like that concentration of sulfuric.

These are available from 50 microns down to l micron.

Therefore, one assumes that these filter wick filters must surely be available in stainless. But then what about ordinary mild steel. Isn't that OK at 97% ... but certainly it would be nbg @ 87% at which point doesn't stainless start to also corrode?

Ask your friendly (if you have one) local car battery manufacturer (i.e., Delco Remy, Prestolite etc) They might have some good ideas as they store concentrated sulfuric and dilute to 35%

Food for thought. Cheers

Freeman Newton [deceased]
(It is our sad duty to advise that Freeman passed away
April 21, 2012. R.I.P. old friend).

---

To Freeman.

Just had occasion to revisit this site, and noticed your reply. Actually, I was unable to set up this filtration because my company needed me to go help at another company division, in June. Others took over the project, and found in our lab that simple filtration would not provide the purity necessary to avoid staining problems if acid was used for cleaning copper metals. Being short handed, and needing to clear the tubs where acid was stored, combined to pressure them to call in a disposal service, as previously mentioned. Thanks for the thought, anyway.

W. Carl Erickson
- Rome, New York
2000