What is Hydrochloric Acid?
Hydrochloric acid (HCL) is a colorless and odorless solution of hydrogen chloride and water. Once commonly referred to as muriatic acid or spirit of salt, this acid is a highly corrosive chemical compound with several applications in industry. It is also found in diluted amounts in the stomach of humans and animals as gastric acid. There is a long history of use of hydrochloric acid. The substance was first described by the 8th century Arab alchemist Jabir ibn Hayyan. In the 13th century, alchemists employed the Jabir’s theory to locate the ‘philosopher’s stone’ based on his conclusion that his discovery could turn ordinary metals into gold. Jabir’s method of combining hydrochloric acid with nitric acid, which he called aqua regia, could indeed dissolve and separate gold and silver from metal alloys and mineral ores. In fact, HCL is still used for precious metal reclamation today. In the industry sector, hydrochloric acid is produced by dissolving hydrogen chloride in water. This proce
