DANGEROUS reaction of ACID and GLOVES

In this video we react fuming nitric acid with nitrile gloves and show that rather than being safe, nitrile gloves actually make fuming nitric acid even more dangerous.
But this is only a problem with fuming 100% nitric acid. The more common concentration of 70% does not set nitrile gloves on fire. Nonetheless for higher safety, vinyl gloves are recommended and if you can afford them, viton gloves.
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[@angelfan16]

I've watched this dude for a decade now, because he knows his shit.

[@andrei294]

because he doesn't a "Kemist"

[@social3ngin33rin]

Right?!?! I wish my chem was as badass as his :'(

[@ZoonCrypticon]

I have watched him for a sixth of a century :-)

[@BlastHeart96]

Been watching him about 13 years myself. I discovered him shortly after I started AP Chemistry in High School. He was the first ever channel that I subscribed to. (Mostly because I was new to KZbin and it took me a while to realize that “Subscribing” to someone’s channel was a free action despite the name lol).

[@asddsaaassddd]

didnt this guy have a PHD in chem, or am i high

[@steves1015]

Valid safety lesson. This reminds me of the sad story of Prof. Karen Wetterham who managed to spill one/two drops of an organomercury compound onto her latex gloved hand. She didn’t think anything of it at the time but died several months later from the resulting mercury poisoning. She was an expert (arguably the top expert at the time) in organo-metallic compounds - it just shows that expertise doesn’t always prevent accidents.

[@ketzbook]

yeah, that is a sad story. She knew that she was screwed, but she couldn't do anything about it.

[@prapanthebachelorette6803]

Exactly

[@michaelbell8834]

@@ketzbook The only way she could have survived was immediate and vigorous chelation. By the time she realized what had happened, it was far too late.

[@NurdRage]

Even better gloves for fuming nitric acid include "Viton" gloves, but those are expensive.

[@Tyresio12]

Hi! In case you're lacking on ideas, could you try to extract some platinum group metals from road dust like Cody's Lab, but in a "wet" way, using acids and maybe some ion exchange resin to increase the metal concentration? Would be both educational and click-baity enough to provide you with a decent amount of views.

[@marybean2231]

Do you own your own glassware, and if so, where do you source it from?

[@markshort9098]

@@marybean2231 ebay has lots of glassware, just make sure to buy a common joint size like 24/40 or 24/29 so you get a bigger selection of glassware on ebay and better prices.. i use 24/40.. chinese sellers are now charging for postage so it's best to make bigger glassware orders to keep postage costs down or just order a organic chemistry kit to start with but those kits don't have a lot of stuff you will need in time and don't have very big flasks so you will probably want some bigger flasks but it all depends on what you want to do.

[@elektronikzmbrtlar1586]

İ made some rfna few months ago and just went bare hand hand splilled around 10/15ml of rfna on my hand. My hand just turned yellow for few days but no long time damage

[@ForeverMan]

what about condoms ? they have been protecting me for a quite a while now

[@kdawg3484]

Oh, KZbin commenters attacking the safety practices of a full-time professional laboratory chemist... Of course, the benefit is that it gives you an easy video idea while you work on other things, and I fully support that. Plus, this can be the definitive video to post to anyone that needs education on the matter. Spread the word of Dr. NBL, folks. This channel needs to keep growing.

[@lapizmate8144]

I mean i get what youre trying to say and especially with youtube comments you get people trying to flex their incomplete knowledge, but it's still trying to warn of potential safety hazards not only to nurdrage but also people watching and possibly trying out these experiments themselfs. Warning of dangers is never wrong (superfluous or timewasting at worst), you can rarely be too safe. Edit: a word

[@Zpicismrad]

I'm not trying to defend such commenters, but just because someone is a professional it does not mean they are immune to having bad/wrong habits or doing mistakes at work.

[@suprememasteroftheuniverse]

Professionals are the ones losing limbs. Just saying.

[@Donni_10]

I know i'm 2 years late but , oh god , some people are just missing your point , is not about not warning is about making wrong warnings like you know more about the stuff you clearly dont. Why people cant understand the difference between - "isnt dangerous to wear those gloves?" And " You idiot , your glove is dangerous and it will make other people get hurt blabla dumb youtuber blablabla unresponsable "

[@twocvbloke]

Always use protection, cos despite what Bob claimed, not all accidents are happy and little... :P

[@Syrnian]

lol

[@spacewolfjr]

it's much safer to smear your hands in peanut butter before putting on the gloves

[@spacewolfjr]

oh I should mention DON'T USE chunky peanut butter it causes great issues with the science

[@Syrnian]

XD

[@ThePharphis]

@DinkleDigeroo "just don't have an accident"

[@Photosynthesisbeing]

and people liked this comment........future doesnt look bright.

[@spacewolfjr]

@@Photosynthesisbeing _you_ don't look too bright, it's a joke my brother!

[@davesulphate4497]

Whenever I find myself thinking that I am a moron, I like to remind myself that we are a species of morons and it's OK.

[@vaibhavhayaran]

I love it when a scientist says "let me demonstrate!" 😁

[@mduvigneaud]

I've learned, the painful way, that vinyl gloves don't block capsaicin. I was making a large batch of hot sauce of Thai chiles.

[@RebelRhiannon]

Good to know.

[@Mp57navy]

Capsiacin is lipophilic... Anything oil resistant should protect you. Nylon will do the trick.

[@trabladorr]

One of the few uses of clickbaity titles that are actually beneficial! Better for someone to find this quick and thorough explanation, rather than a sensational fearmongering video.

[@quoverlord9398]

university is cool and all, but a new nurdrage video 🤩🤩

[@Flederratte]

I found those free diesel gloves from the gas station are good when handling solvents like acetone which would go through nitrile gloves in less than a second.

[@ElementalMaker]

Thank goodness your bringing light to this youtube keyboard warrior misconception. I did one video using 70% nitric acid, and couldn't believe how many misinformed commenters were saying I was promoting dangerous lab practice. Love me some NurdRage!

[@DanielGBenesScienceShows]

Love me some ElementalMaker as well!

[@Enjoymentboy]

Based on how I've seen you play with your toys I am sure you have WAY more things to worry about getting hurt by than nitric acid. :)

[@ElementalMaker]

@@Enjoymentboy your absolutely right about that 😁

[@pirobot668beta]

OK, I'll offer up what a sign in our HS chem lab said: "Good gloves are expensive, but how much is a finger worth?"

[@pedrovaldez6968]

Thank you for taking the time to do this Video. I'm a huge fan of your channel and I have learned a lot from you in the last few years. Thanks again.

[@stephenreeves9025]

thanks for the safety notices, another idea would be about storage, i store all my acids outside in a plastic tub, the acid fumes always seem to escape from their container and i don't want them in my work area, rusting everything possible future project extract the ethanol from E85 gasoline, may be a cheep source just have a fire extinguisher handy

[@jasonsteiner8629]

That is pretty easy. Just add more water, shake well, and then place in a separator funnel. All the water will settle to the bottom and the fuel will float.

[@Fivestar5000]

In pop by here every now and then. I'm glad to see ur channel is still going.

[@MarinusMakesStuff]

A chemist friend of mine wears two different gloves on top of each other. Vinyl over Nitrile for example. So that in case of a spill, and he takes off the glove that got the acid on it, he still has some splash protection in case a drop flies off while taking it off. The nitrile gloves he uses are perfectly sized for his hands so the extra layer doesn't bother much during working with it.

[@stephensteele3553]

All my years of lab training and I was always advised against double gloving. First, the gloves often have a low friction coefficient against each other, and make it harder to maintain a delicate but firm grip on equipment. Second, it allows for a place for reagents to get into, that you may not notice. First, by just not being visible, and second by not allowing evaporation to create a cooling sensation. Which, let's be frank, a lot of the times is the first thing you notice with low MW volatile reagents. The only exception to this was when you double gloving using high risk PPE such as puncture resistant gloves, or contamination suits of their various kinds. I'm that case, you're really trying to get protection from two different things that neither can provide on their own. Lately, double gloving would make it more difficult to remove the gloves properly. That is, by hooking the cuff with one hand on the outside and pulling out off so it goes inside out, and then hooking the inside with the bare hand and doing the same while holding the removed glove in the gloved hand. The less than five second I save throwing on a fresh set of gloves seems like a needless risk.

[@MarinusMakesStuff]

@@stephensteele3553 Hi Stephen, thanks for your very complete reply! I am sorry for my simple explanation. I should have emphasized on the fact that he only wears the double gloves in extreme cases where it's really needed! He has an extreme safety obsession with hydrofluoric acid for example, he respects it a lot, but knows the dangers. This is when he takes extra measures. Same goes for other high-purity acids. I myself am no lab technician and have never had any chemistry so it's mostly what I know about his experiences. We've all seen images of how they treat HF burns with calcium or something that looks like it. I can completely understand it when someone takes extreme measures with extreme chemicals :) So know, double gloving isn't his standard practice 'all the time' :) By the way, I believe with HF he wears special thick gloves made with Nitrile and underneath wears one set of thin nitrile gloves. So nitrile over nitrile.

[@adampm1]

@@MarinusMakesStuff I never double glove when working with 90%+ purity HF acid. The thick green Sol-Vex gloves (I do not believe that nitrile is properly resistant) are suited enough for the task and anyone who works with HF should know to always check for pinholes and to always decon before even attempting to take something off. There should never be a worry of any leftover harmful residue unless this person is not following protocol.

[@forrestzirpolo1360]

Great explanation! Love your videos.

[@iMaCH]

holy shit you still make video! i cannot wait to binge the videos ive missed over the last like 4 years

[@SaltyRad]

That helped, thank you for going into detail why.

[@dwaynezilla]

I secretly hoped you were going to say "So in future videos I'll be using vinyl gloves when I'm working with nitric acid to avoid the comments section being filled with comments on my gloves."

[@generalingwer4341]

Very useful video.well done.

[@SURFEAMORETERNO]

As usual, your videos are very good. Congratulations and thank you

[@Lennrrrrt]

The ones we prefer in our Labs are the "Latex special gloves" by Engelbert-Strauss. Although more locally sourced, they can really take a beating.

[@SigEpBlue]

Gotta love non-chemists telling the chemist what he's doing wrong. LoL

[@nationalist-socialist]

Finally, a new NurdRage Video!!!

[@jacobbudovsky]

Good to know information. Thank you

[@piotrkrawczyk2390]

Love your videos!

[@cantsolvesudokus]

a few more notes (or maybe videos?) on lab safety, particularly the storage of chemicals in the hobbyist environment, would really be appreciated :)

[@ucantSQ]

lol oh ok, so I should wear no gloves and just rely on my skill 🤣 I love this channel.

[@beestorm7609]

Been watching since before 2012! Love your stuff.

[@YouMockMe]

Well I had no idea.....THANKS!

[@eurisko2810]

I made some fuming nitric acid after watching Nurdrage's excellent tutorial. I put it in a tightly sealed 4 oz. bottle. I put the 4 oz bottle in a sealed mason jar in my garage. After 2 months in the garage, the fumes dissolved the steel lid of the mason jar. The 4 oz. bottle is still sealed with a plastic cap. This stuff is impressive.

[@turkiosm8650]

Thank you🤚

[@scrotiemcboogerballs1981]

Always great vids God bless you and your family

[@Dinnye01]

Nile Red already made a perfectly adequate video about this. He shows what is and isn't dangerous. Strange that people still don't understamd this stuff. But better twice than not at all.

[@miketoreno4969]

Thank you sir.

[@sevenproxies4255]

Regarding other gloves: are they as thin as the nitrile gloves? When it comes to handling chemicals, and even doing mechanical work, I tend to prefer thinner gloves because they offer more manual dexterity. Thicker gloves impede you a lot so you might end up spilling more than you would have with thinner nitrile gloves.

[@alexk.7064]

Thinner gloves are really comfortable to use but if I were handling corrosive or otherwise dangerous chemicals I'd prefer to have thicker gloves, so I can have some time to take them off when I spill something. Thankfully I'm currently doing my bachelor's thesis in a phytopathology lab so I don't have to do any dangerous chemistry :D

[@sevenproxies4255]

@@alexk.7064 I sometimed wear thicker gloves for work. Since there are risks of cutting yourself on sharp materials. I've got to say though that thicker rubber gloves are definitely not quicker to remove than thinner ones. They tend to form an airtight seal around your hands and stick to them due to perspiration. The thinner nitrile gloves I just rip off in an instant.

[@Hopelek]

NurdRage is not dead! Yay!

[@mmmhorsesteaks]

We were always told to use butyl rubber gloves for strong mineral acids.

[@PeteStMarie]

..."another lab accident"

[@Tgernos]

Nice video!

[@pinawell]

Chemisty is life. Good Job teatcher

[@jermainerace4156]

Next let's tackle the "glove/no glove" arguments regarding handling LN2 and the metal tubes it flows through...

[@Sashakemper]

Good to know

[@ouchymytoe]

I think everyone would like to see you add pool chlorine powder to a car's full master cylinder (a junker of course). Hee hee hee!

[@phoenixspirit6014]

i think nurdrage loves nitric acid

[@DONK8008]

When people try to correct someone who actually knows chemistry. They get schooled.

[@aga5897]

If you think "Viton" gloves are expensive, take a look at Louis Vitton ones !

[@southsidemusicproductionho6311]

Make a Series on Polymethyl 2 methylpropenoate aka Acrylic

[@jubjuber1]

another good one is that nitrile gloves allow acetone thru! if u blow up a glove and put a drop of acetone, it will pop

[@Poodleinacan]

Ok, but what if I want my gloves to catch fire? What if it's winter and really cold?

[@jamessshep6106]

A total off topic question.. will ammonium bifluoride react with solder that is lead based?

[@bobwerner6512]

cool still need to make some nitric acid my uncle used to use it to clean his HO train tracks in the 70's rather weak solution.

[@social3ngin33rin]

During O-chem lab, my nitrile gloves started to smoke; as a student, that really freaks you the fuck out!!! Thankfully, that was the only experiment where nitrile gloves weren't 100% protective. My gloves thankfully didn't catch fire in the trashcan full of paper towels lololol (there was a sink nearby, but still, imagine if I made a trashcan fire during class lol)

[@calvin1176]

Hey NurdRage, how can you determine what is in a solution if all you know are the ph, kh, and density? (12.72, 16150, .97) also if you have something dissolved in water and add another liquid that doesnt mix with water but that the thing can dissolve in, how can you calculate the equilibrium of how much of it is dissolved in each? if there are two things and one dissoves in the water but not the other, then how can you calculate that stuff?

[@megahaker7712]

I want to ask about a vision shows ion exchange separation of metal for example cobalt nickel and iron

[@oflfishingandhunting457]

can you show how to make potassium nitrate from urine

[@ketzbook]

normally nitrile gloves are better than vinyl gloves, but this is a good example of when not to use nitrile gloves. I use nitrile gloves for most things, and I never need to work with fuming nitric acid.

[@NETBotic]

Oh god you read comments? GL

[@henryrroland]

Can you enlighten a question that I have? Is it possible to make HNO₃ using NH₃ + O₂ + catalyst (like Pt) in home? I wonder if that is possible to achieve with a comercial solution of ammonia, oxygen from the air and a catalyst from the car

[@drskelebone]

Is there a way to stack gloves, such that you have vinyl on nitrile, or nitrile on vinyl? Does that protect better against issues? I guess is it additive, multiplicative, or just dumb ("nobody wears two gloves")?

[@lazyman114]

Can you do a video on how to make fuming nitric acid plz?

[@eurisko2810]

He already did. kzbin.info/www/bejne/aKqoaKlqrNCokLc

[@saberson]

Hi sir !How can i extract phosphorus from phosphate ?

[@dragoljubvujovic2325]

Hey dr Nurdrage, how does nitric acid react with latex gloves?

[@jadentonkin466]

ok

[@nucleochemist]

Our glove compatability chart suggests chloroprene/neoprene disposable gloves when handling 70% nitric: I wonder how they go with 98%+ (fuming) nitric acid?

[@sudochmodx3752]

Also, fuming nitric acid commercially usually has some HF inhibitor

[@domvasta]

I just go barehanded with fuming nitric acid. Hydrofluoric, perchloric or caro's acid I use nitrile gloves, but I also don't have my hands anywhere near them, I work one handed from a fume hood, with hydrofluoric particularly, the gloves do nothing, I've tested them with a raw beef spare rib inside. The glove was fine, the insides were not.

[@asvarien]

What gloves should you use for dimethyl mercury?

[@NurdRage]

There is actually a special type of multilayer laminate silver lined gloves that resist dimethyl mercury. But even they just buy you time and are not immune. So you need to be vigilant and take them off as soon as there is a spill. The danger is if you don't know there is a spill and keep working as the dimethyl mercury soaks through. I think the brand name is "silver shield" or something

[@stephensteele3553]

@@NurdRage isn't the better answer, don't fucking work with dimethyl mercury. Oregano metallics in general are something I have no desire to work with. Hexavalent chromium.... Eh no problem. Organomercury, fuck that shit.

[@NurdRage]

true, although some research requires it. Personally, i'd rather work back at McDonalds than work with dimethylmercury, but those who do put their lives on the line to better science deserve the best protection that we know of.

[@stephensteele3553]

@@NurdRage to be frank, I would rather lick a McDonald's toilet than work with that. I'm all for furthering research but I'm also not suicidal. I guess if you are going to do it, by all means, have the best protection available. But maybe also go talk to a therapist first.

[@asvarien]

@@NurdRage SilverShield claim to protect against 280 different chemicals but don't specfically mention DMM. Also they cost £86 for a pack of ten.

[@SuperAWaC]

What about Tychem gloves?

[@nigeljohnson9820]

What are the disadvantages of using vinyl gloves all the time?

[@MuzikBike]

Do green smash glow crystals exist?

[@Mr6Sinner]

You should get medium sized gloves, those larger look too loose

[@quoverlord9398]

Will Nitrile react with NO2 gas?

[@Prchemist06]

Can we use silver electrodes instead of platinum like that for chlorate cell ? Will it be destroyed in electro alkaline conditions?

[@torchofkck4989]

Do you use butyl gloves ?

[@DarthTwilight]

I didn't even know you were still active, bud. Good to know, though.

[@B.McAllister]

Never knew Adam Driver was into chemistry..

[@anthonyhart7878]

"... another lab accident." - You "What do you mean ANOTHER?!?" - Someone important

[@jermainerace4156]

Spilling nitric acid is the lab accident. Failing to prevent the glove fire is "another" accident.

[@anthonyhart7878]

@@jermainerace4156 /r/whoosh

[@NotProFishing]

Another vid I was worried covid got ya

[@deaultusername]

What about Sulphuric, Hydrochloric and phosphoric acid all of which are easier to across then nitric acid

[@SuperAngelofglory]

Butyl gloves are allegedly immune to HNO3, even 100% WFNA, but those are not cheap

[@ToddHowardWithAGun]

Me: "But I'm wearing gloves!" Acid: "And you think this gives you power over me?"

[@ZoonCrypticon]

Reminds me somehow of the encounter of Bane with this local banker/politician in "The Dark Knight rises".

[@suprememasteroftheuniverse]

@@ZoonCrypticon Lord of the rings

[@ZoonCrypticon]

@@suprememasteroftheuniverse But where in the trilogy? I can´t remember. Perhaps in the Gandalf Saruman situation?

[@theshuman100]

having your gloves catch fire is merely part of the job of being a rogue chemist

[@Prchemist06]

What happens when we use just silver electrodes for our potassium chlorate cell

[@Justsomeoneyoucouldhaveknown]

Glad to see some info on gloves. Like most people on this chanel I practice chemistry at home. For better or worse I tend not to use gloves as they are not a 100% guaranteed to protect you against whatever it is your doing.(this is my choice and I don't recommend) I think alot of people have the misconception that once you have gloves on your safe from whatever your working with. I remember a story about a researcher who spelled a single drop (less then 5ml I think) of an organic Mercury compound on her hand and although she had gloves on it didn't help her. Whatever it is your doing make sure your confident in your availabilitys to handle any situation you might put yourself in. As well having confidence in your equipment and lab gear. For those of you wondering, when doing chemistry with acids I have a bucket/barrel of concentrated baking soda behind where I'm working that's deep enough for me to completely submerge my arms in. And if need be topple the hole thing down on me. All I have to do is a 180 and dunk. Thankfully iv only had to dunk once and probably didn't need to just did so out of caution. Also this is for acids. If working with poisonous, carcinogenic, toxic, radiological or biological hazards, it becomes a different story.

[@stephensteele3553]

The reality is most chemistry is fairly safe. Or at least safer than most people think. That being said, wearing gloves one keeps you from exposure later on to things that can be difficult to wash off and two just keeps your hands from smelling. Sure, it's inconvenient, but it's damn cheap and you get

[@NormReitzel]

Our rule for fuming nitric acid was nitrile gloves under heavy neoprene gloves. And it was really hard to emphasize to students just how much more dangerous 100% nitric acid is than "concentrated" nitric acid. There were procedures for cleaning specific things out of glassware using fuming nitric acid, and as a safety fascist I would never ever release these procedures for lab use.

[@join993]

Hello! hopefully someone, or NurdRage himself, can answer this question. When dealing with these type of security concerns, do chemists generally just wing it, read up online, or test themselves? As I'm not a chemist myself this seems like something one would learn by trial and a very big error, but I'm not experienced in the workflow of chemistry.

[@Gartneren1234]

Chemists are supposed to read the data safety sheet of their chemicals before they use them. These sheets will tell everything on what kind of safety gear should be used, and also contains instructions on what to do in the event things do go wrong.

[@ro63rto]

So many internet experts.

[@alberthofmann420]

Hmmm not that kind of Acid I had hoped for... :D Greetings ;)

[@firefrog101]

You had me at "Greetings fellow nerds"

[@superdau]

I sometimes feel the internet makes people dumber. At least before the internet they hadn't any idea. Now everyone thinks they are an expert in whatever field they watched a video on.

[@spacecomma4678]

Vinyl (PVC) gloves are also resistant to concentrated H2O2 (HTP). I’ve tested them to 90% and they don’t react.

[@StevenSchoolAlchemy]

Good morning.

[@jogandsp]

Now where's the video on making fuming nitric acid??

[@rosssmith9482]

As a very new hobbiest to chemistry, what it a easy source of sulfuric acid other than car batteries as in Australia we can not purchase sulfuric acid .

[@ElectraFlarefire]

Search for 'sulfuric acid from copper sulphate' It's a simple, if somewhat slow electrochemical method. Scrap Science has a video on how simple it is, but NurdRage also has one, I think. And Extractions&Ire(Or Explosions&Fire, can't remember) has one about other acids in Australia.

[@eurisko2810]

Search Nurdrage's videos for 'sulphuric acid'. He has a few videos on how to make it using more easily obtained chemicals. Is it legal to make your own in Australia?

[@eurisko2810]

Another thought... does Australia sell Sulphuric acid based drain cleaner?

[@rosssmith9482]

No unfortunately none of our draincleaner has sulfuric based. I have been using the copper sulfate electrochemical method but its very low yeld and its hard to get a concentrated sulfuric acid.

[@2450logan]

Plumbing shops mate. Agricultural stores also supply it

[@mr.x8259]

I glove it!

[@jasonwalls3484]

watched for years ...sls vid?

[@babsarts8282]

I wonder why azeotropic nitric acid doesn't set nitrile gloves on fire - too much water, perhaps?

[@Amy_A.]

The water likely slows down the reaction rate as well as adding noncombustible thermal mass, giving the heat enough time to dissipate into the air before it builds up too much.

[@babsarts8282]

@@Amy_A. That is another possibility, yes.