Product Overview
Nitric Acid 20% Technical Grade is an aqueous solution of nitric acid (HNO3, CAS 7697-37-2) diluted to a working strength that plating shops, water-treatment operators, circuit board fabricators, and fertilizer producers order when they need real oxidizing power without the handling burden of concentrated acid. It is a strong oxidizer and a strong mineral acid in one liquid. we distribute it in our Taylor, TX warehouse and ship it daily as a Class 8 corrosive under UN2031 (per 49 CFR 172.101), packed in DOT-compliant containers from 1 liter bottles to 55 gallon drums.
Buy this concentration when your process specifies dilute nitric acid, when you meter acid straight from the container without an in-house dilution step, or when your site's chemical hygiene plan favors a lower-strength corrosive over concentrated stock.
Why This Concentration
At 20%, nitric acid gives you a controlled reaction rate. Etching, brightening, and pH adjustment proceed at a pace an operator can watch and stop, instead of the fast, fuming attack you get from concentrated acid. That control comes with a trade-off: jobs take longer, and heavy-duty scale removal or high-throughput etching may need a stronger solution.
Where you sit on that trade-off decides the SKU. For rinse acidification and gentle passivation work, step down to Nitric Acid 5%. If 20% runs too slow for your etch bath, Nitric Acid 25% and Nitric Acid 40% pick up the pace while remaining dilute solutions. Analytical and trace-sensitive work belongs with Nitric Acid 65% ACS Grade or Nitric Acid 70% ACS Grade - Low Particle, where grade purity is the buying criterion rather than concentration alone. This 20% technical grade is the workhorse for industrial process use, not for trace analysis.
Chemical Profile
Nitric Acid 20% is a liquid solution of HNO3 (molecular weight 63.013) in water, CAS 7697-37-2. Nitric acid, other than red fuming, appears as a pale yellow to reddish brown liquid with reddish brown vapors and a suffocating, characteristic choking odor; it is corrosive to metals and tissue and accelerates the burning of combustible material, which can ignite on contact. This 20% w/w solution has a density of 1.117 at 20 °C and is miscible with water, with a vapor pressure of 48 mmHg. The vapor is the property operators underestimate most: it is toxic by inhalation (per the product's GHS classification), so open handling belongs under local exhaust ventilation even at this dilution.
Industrial Applications
Every use below reflects what dilute nitric acid actually does in the process — an oxidizing acid that dissolves metals, oxidizes contaminants, and supplies nitrate.
-
Metal etching. Dissolves exposed metal at a controlled rate for circuit board work, part marking, and surface preparation. The 20% strength lets an operator time the etch instead of racing it.
-
pH adjustment. Neutralizes alkalinity in water-treatment streams. Because it contributes nitrate rather than chloride or sulfate, some plants prefer it where those anions cause downstream problems.
-
Oxidizing agent. Serves as the oxidizer in chemical manufacturing steps that need a strong, water-miscible oxidizing acid at moderate strength.
-
Analytical reagent. Used in industrial labs for sample digestion and wet-chemistry procedures where technical grade purity is acceptable; trace-level work should step up to an ACS grade.
-
Nitrate production. Reacts with bases and metal compounds to produce nitrate salts for fertilizer manufacturing.
Handling & Storage
The signal word is Danger (per the product's GHS classification). The hazard statements: H314 Causes severe skin burns and eye damage; H331 Toxic if inhaled; H290 May be corrosive to metals (per the product's GHS classification). Treat all three as operating instructions, not label decoration.
Wear acid-resistant gloves, splash goggles, and a face shield when transferring; work with ventilation adequate to keep vapors out of your breathing zone. Store in HDPE or glass — never in metal containers, and never near organics, combustibles, reducing agents, or bases. Keep it cool, dry, and out of direct light and heat. H290 is why we ship it in compatible plastic packaging and why your dispensing hardware, pumps, and fittings need a compatibility check before first use. Keep spill neutralizer staged wherever you decant.
Our shipping and handling guidance is reviewed by Andre Taki, DOT Hazmat Specialist.
Hazmat & Shipping
This product ships as a fully regulated hazardous material. The proper shipping name is Nitric acid, other than red fuming, with less than 65 percent nitric acid (per 49 CFR 172.101). It is assigned UN2031 (per 49 CFR 172.101), Hazard Class 8 — Corrosive (per 49 CFR 172.101), Packing Group II (per 49 CFR 172.101). Every order leaves our Taylor, TX dock in UN-specification packaging with correct marks, labels, and shipping papers. You receive a package your receiving dock can accept without a compliance question — and Alliance Chemical charges hazmat fees may apply.
Documentation
A Safety Data Sheet ships with every order and is available in English, Spanish, French, and Japanese — useful for multilingual crews and international EHS files. A lot-specific Certificate of Analysis is available for the material you receive, tied to the batch on your container label, and a Technical Data Sheet is available for spec review before you buy.
Why Buy from Alliance Chemical
We are a chemical distributor that handles this acid physically, every day. Our team packs Nitric Acid 20% in compatible containers, applies the UN2031 hazmat markings, and ships from Taylor, TX with accurate papers on every shipment — hazmat fees may apply added. From a single 1 liter bottle for bench work to 55 gallon drums on a production schedule, you get the same DOT-compliant packaging and the same documentation. Orders ships under applicable requirements because the material is distributed through Alliance Chemical in Taylor, Texas. If you are unsure whether 20% is the right strength for your process, contact us before you order — matching buyers to the right concentration is what we do.
