Re: Why is it important to keep nitric acid in separate storage from other acid

Hi Dan! The answer for you question is easy to explain. Nitric acid is one of the most commonly used acids in the US. As such, one tends to see it in a lot of places, especially chemical labs. Nitric acid, along with its corrosive properties, is an oxidizer at room temperature. This makes it especially reactive.

So, what? What does that have to do with acetic acid? Concentrated acetic acid is actually a combustible liquid. So, if you take your nitric acid and add acetic, there is an excellent chance that a fire will develop. Hence, nitric acid gets its own storage.