gijim
Electrical
- Jul 13, 2004
- 58
Hi everyone,
It's been a while since high school chemistry class, so I wanted to get your input on some things...
I read on the net about a new "cheap" way to etch PC boards. What you do is you mix 1 part Hydrochloric acid (the 30% pool supply stuff) with 2 parts Hydrogen Peroxide (the 3% disinfectant). Then you just add your copper board and watch as it dissolves.
Now I have several questions... First, how dangerous is 30% Hydrochloric acid? Back in high school, somebody wet their arm and put lye on it to make a paste, and it took some 20 minutes to a half hour before there was any noticable change. That quite literally changed my life, because I figure if it can burn me - I have 20 minutes to wash it off. Is 30% hydrochloric acid more dangerous than lye? (I wear gloves and eye protection, but I want to know what I'm dealing with here)
Second, when it is mixed with the 3% H2O2, it is dilluted significantly. How much "less" dangerous is it then?
Third, if I understand the process right, it turns copper into copper chloride. Is that solution any more/less dangerous than what it started as?
Thanks in advance,
It's been a while since high school chemistry class, so I wanted to get your input on some things...
I read on the net about a new "cheap" way to etch PC boards. What you do is you mix 1 part Hydrochloric acid (the 30% pool supply stuff) with 2 parts Hydrogen Peroxide (the 3% disinfectant). Then you just add your copper board and watch as it dissolves.
Now I have several questions... First, how dangerous is 30% Hydrochloric acid? Back in high school, somebody wet their arm and put lye on it to make a paste, and it took some 20 minutes to a half hour before there was any noticable change. That quite literally changed my life, because I figure if it can burn me - I have 20 minutes to wash it off. Is 30% hydrochloric acid more dangerous than lye? (I wear gloves and eye protection, but I want to know what I'm dealing with here)
Second, when it is mixed with the 3% H2O2, it is dilluted significantly. How much "less" dangerous is it then?
Third, if I understand the process right, it turns copper into copper chloride. Is that solution any more/less dangerous than what it started as?
Thanks in advance,