I used hydrochloric acid and water to remove concrete from my tools (in a plastic bucket) but did not know how dangerous it was and how complicated the disposal process can be–first time using it obviously. It is pretty late at night and there's not much I can do but I am scared to leave it outside overnight uncovered and I don't have a lid for it
Disposal of hydrochloric acid
cementcleaningdisposalsafety
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I was researching whether I should be concerned with paper towels used in changing oil on my cars and came upon this thread. One of the other sites I visited was firehouse.com and the link to the information below is https://www.firehouse.com/rescue/article/10528863/the-phenomenon-of-spontaneous-combustion.
They seem quite positive that there is no possibility of spontaneous combustion occurring when disposing of automotive petroleum products.
“Spontaneous heating cannot occur in the case of petroleum oils or other hydrocarbon materials that are saturated. Ordinary petroleum products, such as motor oil, grease, diesel fuel and gasoline, do not have a double bond in their chemical make-up. For that reason, the oxidation reaction that occurs with animal and vegetable oils and the oxygen in the air does not occur. Therefore, those materials do not undergo spontaneous combustion! This fact may come as a surprise to some people because there have been numerous fires blamed on soiled rags with those products on them. The fact is that saturated flammable liquids do not spontaneously ignite and cannot start to burn without some other ignition source.“
The common disposal unit drain pipe connection looks like the following picture:
There may be some variation in the design of the tail pipe assemblies from manufacturer to manufacturer but the ones for the above type connection generally follow the form shown here:
These tail pipe pieces are generally supplied with the disposer. It is possible to purchase manufacturer specific tail pipes at appliance parts outlet stores and from online sites. It may also be possible to purchase a generic replacement at some hardware and big box home stores. If you purchase a new one make sure to include a new rubber gasket.
It has been my experience that a common cause of leaks at the disposer outlet is the corrosion of the body housing of the unit around the drain hole. In the cases I have dealt with it was time to replace the disposer unit with a new one. One thing to check is if the lower part of the disposer housing is wet or showing signs of rust and corrosion separate from the drain pipe attachment. If so this is often an indication of the sealed bearing inside the disposer starting to leak and is another reason for replacement. On disposers that I have replaced I have noticed leaks from both the bearing and the drain pipe area.
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Best Answer
You can neutralise the acid by mixing with alkali. However, be careful.
You will need quite a lot of something like baking powder. Or if you have any left over - cement powder.
Add a small amount to the acid - it will foam and release gas (Carbon Dioxide). Don't add too much at once or the bucket will overflow and you will get acid everywhere.
Keep going, small amount at a time until it no longer foams when you add more. You now have salty water that can be poured down the drain.
I repeat, be careful because of the foaming and you will need a lot of powder.