Hydrochloric Acid – Product Overview

Hydrochloric acid is a strong inorganic acid used in almost all sectors of Industry. It is a clear, colourless, fuming and corrosive liquid that has a strong pungent odour.

Hydrochloric acid is a highly corrosive and reactive chemical. It is irritating to the skin, eyes and gastrointestinal tract. Please see the health and safety data sheet (link below) for further information.

Standard Products available

Manufacture of Product

Hydrochloric Acid is typically produced in a Chloro-Alkali facility. Hydrochloric acid supplied by GI Chemicals is manufactured from Hydrogen and Chlorine gases produced during electrolysis of brine utilising membrane cell technology. Salt in the form of brine is electrolysed to produce Caustic Soda, Chlorine and Hydrogen.

The Chlorine and Hydrogen gases are fed to a combustion chamber to form HCL gas which is then absorbed in water via a scrubber to produce 36% Hydrochloric acid solution.

Product Uses

Metal Cleaning and Treatment: The ‘pickling’ of steel is the major use for hydrochloric acid.

Mining: The mining industry relies heavily on the acid leaching of certain minerals from ore deposits, an economical method of recovering valuable minerals from otherwise inaccessible bodies of ore.

Food and Dairy Industry: Hydrochloric acid is used in protein and starch manufacture, as well as in demineralising whey. It is also used extensively in casein manufacture and the regeneration of ion exchange resins.

Water Treatment: Hydrochloric acid is used widely in water treatment as an effective neutralisation agent for alkaline (high pH) effluent.

Chemical Raw Material: Hydrochloric acid is used as a raw material for both organic and inorganic chemical reactions, such as in the production of chlorine dioxide and the esterification of aromatic acids

Product Profile Sheets and Safety Data Sheets

Both product profile sheets and safety data sheets can be requested online via our product listings page here. They will issue almost instantly.