Question

State the safety precautions you would take for the preparation of hydrochloric acid.

Answer 1

Hint: Hydrochloric acid - or HCl - is an acid that is highly corrosive when concentrated. Skin contact can cause severe skin burns as Hydrogen chloride (HCl gas) forms corrosive hydrochloric acid on contact with water found in body tissue.

Complete answer:
Precautions must be taken while its preparation:
-Wear a chemical-resistant apron, chemical-resistant gloves and chemical splash goggles at all times when handling HCl to protect your eyes and skin.
-Concentrated hydrochloric acid is toxic if inhaled, so avoid breathing it in and always handle it while under a fume hood.
-After preparation, it should be stored in a dedicated wood cabinet. Wood cabinets are better than metal cabinets for storing acids because metal corrodes easily from hydrochloric acid fumes. Always keep a color-coded acid bottle cap on your bottle so that you know which bottle contains HCl.

Additional Information:
HCl gas is strongly hydrophilic, hence can be easily scrubbed from the exhaust gases of a reaction by bubbling it through water, producing useful hydrochloric acid as a byproduct. Because of the corrosive nature of the acid, ceramic, glass, or sometimes tantalum apparatus is commonly used.
Also, inhalation of the fumes can cause coughing, choking, inflammation of the nose, throat, and upper respiratory tract, and in severe cases, pulmonary edema, circulatory system failure, and death.

Note:
If you are exposed to a harmful acid such as HCl, immediately seek medical attention. If acid splashes on your skin, rinse it with water for 15 to 20 minutes. If acid gets into your eyes, immediately flush your eyes with water for a minimum of 15 to 20 minutes. If acid soaks your clothing, immediately remove the clothing before it gets to the skin.