Anyone know if and how to get Nitric Acid from Sodium Nitrate?

I do believe that's impossible. BLTC isn't really concerned with that kind of chemistry though.

head on over to lab tips, my fine feathered friend.

Consider this: Sodium Nitrate is the sodium salt of Nitric Acid.

Now with your new-found knowledge, head on over to Lab Tips.

Don't bother trying to make Nitric Acid.

Just purchase some ACS Grade from your local chem supply. It isn'y a watched precursor, and won't be suspect.

6671. Nitric Acid.

Aquafortis; Salpetersure (German). HNO3; mol wt 63.01. H 1.60%, N 22.23%, O 76.17%. Usually produced by the catalytic oxidation of ammonia. Reviews of

industrial processes: F. D. Miles, Nitric Acid, Manufacture and Uses (Oxford Univ. Press, 1961, 1963); W. Sommer in Ullmann's Encykopdie der technischen

Chemie vol. 15, pp 3-67 (3rd ed., 1964). Purification by distln: Briner et al., Helv. Chim. Acta 18, 376 (1935); Ward et al., Inorg. Syn. 3, 13 (1950); Kaplan,

Schechter, ibid. 4, 52 (1953). Reviews: Several authors in Mellor's Vol. VIII, supplement II, Nitrogen (part 2), 278-352 (1967); Jones in Comprehensive Inorganic

Chemistry vol. 2, J. C. Bailar, Jr. et al., Eds. (Pergamon Press, Oxford, 1973) pp 375-388; D. J. Newman in Kirk-Othmer Encyclopedia of Chemical Technology vol.

15 (Wiley-Interscience, New York, 1981) pp 853-871. See also Nitric Acid, Anhydrous.

Colorless liq. Fumes in moist air. Characteristic choking odor. d425 1.50269. mp -41.59 deg. Monohydrate, mp -37.68 deg. Trihydrate, mp -18.47 deg. Heat of fusion:

2.503 kcal/mole. Heat of infinite dilution (298.1 degK): -7971 cal/mole. bp760 83 deg. With water it forms a negative azeotrope (min vapor press. max bp), so-called

constant boiling acid at 68% HNO3, bp 120.5 deg, d420 1.41. The oxide-free acid, diluted with an equal vol of water, does not discolor drops of 0.1N KMnO4. Colorless

100% acid cannot be stored in the presence of light without formation of NO2 which produces the discoloration. Stains woolen fabrics and animal tissue a bright

yellow. In the presence of traces of oxides it attacks all base metals except Al and special Cr steels which become passivated. Strong, monobasic acid. Oxidizing

agent. Reacts violently with alcohol, turpentine, charcoal, organic refuse. Nitric acid concentrated is a water soln contg 70-71% HNO3. Density of aq solns: d420

1.0036 (1% HNO3 w/w); 1.0543 (10%); 1.1150 (20%); 1.1800 (30%); 1.2463 (40%); 1.3100 (50%); 1.3667 (60%); 1.4134 (70%); 1.4521 (80%); 1.4826 (90%);

1.5129 (100%): International Critical Tables III, 58 (1928). See also Nitric Acid, Fuming.

Caution: Potential symptoms of overexposure are irritation of eyes, mucous membranes and skin; delayed pulmonary edema, pneumonitis and bronchitis; dental

erosion. See NIOSH Pocket Guide to Chemical Hazards (DHHS/ NIOSH 90-117, 1990) p 160. See also Clinical Toxicology of Commercial Compounds, R. E.

Gosselin et al., Eds. (Williams Wilkins, Baltimore, 5th ed., 1984) Section III, pp 8-11.

USE: Manufacture of inorganic and organic nitrates and nitro compounds for fertilizers, dye intermediates, explosives and many different organic chemicals.

Pharmaceutic aid (acidifier).

THERAP CAT (VET): Cauterizing agent (for warts).

Although, Candy said it should be mentioned that if you arn't able to aquire through a chem supply.

You might consider,

Treating sodium or potassium nitrate with 100% H2SO4 (Sulfuric Acid) and then removing the resulting HNO3 via fractional distillation.



Still it is not recommended for the novice, Nitric Acid is nothing to be handled lightly.