Uses

Perchloric acid is used as an oxidizer in the separation of sodium and potassium.
Used in making explosives.
Used for plating of metals.
Used as a reagent to determine the 1H-Benzotriazole
Used as a catalyst.
Used in rocket fuel.
Used for electropolishing or etching of molybdenum.

Technical property

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the uses of perchloric acid?

The primary application of perchloric acid is its use as a precursor to ammonium perchlorate, which is an inorganic compound which is a vital component of rocket fuel. Therefore, perchloric acid is considered to be a very important chemical compound in the space industry. This compound is also used in the etching of liquid crystal display systems (often abbreviated to LCD). Therefore, perchloric acid is widely used in the electronics industry as well. This compound is also used in analytical chemistry owing to its unique properties. Perchloric acid also has several important applications in the extraction of materials from their ores. Furthermore, this compound is also used in the etching of chrome. Since it acts as a super acid, perchloric acid is considered to be one of the strongest Bronsted-Lowry acids.

How is perchloric acid prepared?

The industrial production of perchloric acid usually follows one of two different routes. The first route, often referred to as the traditional route, is a method of preparing perchloric acid that exploits the extremely high solubility of sodium perchlorate in water. The solubility of sodium perchlorate in water corresponds to 2090 grams per litre at room temperatures. Treatment of such a solution of sodium perchlorate in water with hydrochloric acid results in the formation of perchloric acid along with a precipitate of sodium chloride. This concentrated acid can, furthermore, be purified via the process of distillation. The second route involves the use of electrodes in which the anodic oxidation of chlorine which is dissolved in water takes place at a platinum electrode. However, the alternate method is considered to be more expensive.

Is perchloric acid dangerous?

Perchloric acid is an extremely powerful oxidant. Owing to its strong oxidizing properties, this compound exhibits very high reactivities towards most metals. Furthermore, this compound is highly reactive towards organic matter as well. This compound can be corrosive towards the skin. Therefore, adequate safety measures must be taken during the handling of this compound.