The E-Sylum:  Volume 9, Number 53, December 31, 2006, Article 18

ON AQUA REGIA

Dan Demeo writes: "As to the discussion of formulating aqua regia, I
disagree, and checked my Handbook of Chemistry and Physics for
confirmation.  Aqua regia consists of one part concentrated nitric
acid and 3 parts concentrated hydrochloric acid, not sulfuric.  If
such a solution is to be stored, rather than immediately used, the
handbook recommends 1 part water be included, as the concentrated
mixture spontaneously evolves chlorine and other noxious gases."

Last week's correspondent agrees: "According to the dictionary, aqua
regia is one part nitric acid to three or four parts hydrochloric acid.
I shouldn't have relied on my memory.  Sorry about that.  I'm reasonably
certain that the other details I supplied about testing for 14K and
18K are correct, but I have no way to check them."

  Wayne Homren, Editor

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