Table 1 contains a partial list of common acids, along with their chemical formulas and applications.
Table 1: Common acids and their applications
Chemical name | Chemical formula | Applications |
Hydrochloric acid | HCl | Metal refining, pickling of steel, production of metal chlorides, pH control of process water and neutralization of waste streams, household cleaning, regeneration of ion exchangers (ChemicalSafetyFacts, 2022) |
Sulfuric acid | H2SO4 | In car batteries, manufacture of fertilizers, production of detergents, synthetic resins, dyestuffs, pharmaceuticals, petroleum catalysts, and insecticides (The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica, 2024) |
Nitric acid | HNO3 | Manufacture of fertilizers, explosives, nylon precursors and organic compounds, as a rocket propellant, during metal processing, gold parting (PubChem, no date) |
Phosphoric acid | H3PO4 | Manufacture of fertilizers, acidification of foods and beverages, as a preservative, for chemical polishing of aluminum and steel passivation, as a sanitizing agent in the dairy, food and brewing industries (PubChem, no date) |
Acetic acid | CH3COOH | Chemical reagent for the production of vinyl acetate, esters and acetic anhydrate, as a solvent and vinegar (Brown, 2024) |
Hydrofluoric acid | HF | Production of organofluorine compounds and inorganic fluorides, as an etchant in the semiconductor industry (CDC, 2018) |