Sulfuric Acid

by Exodus

Sulfuric acid is far too difficult to make outside of a laboratory or industrial plant. However, it is readily available in an uncharged car battery.

Go to an auto supply store and ask for "a small battery acid". This should only cost a few dollars. What you will get is about a gallon of dilute sulfuric acid. Put a pint of this into a heat resistant glass container. The glass pitchers used for making coffee are perfect. Do not use a metal container.

There would probably be pieces of lead from the battery in the acid which would have to be removed, either by boiling or filtration. The concentration of the sulfuric acid can also be increased by boiling it; very pure sulfuric acid pours slightly faster than clean motor oil.

Use an extension cord to set up a hotplate out doors. Boil the acid until white fumes appear. As soon as you see the white fumes, turn off the hot plate and let the acid cool. Pour the now concentrated acid into a glass container. The container must have a glass stopper or plastic cap -- no metal. It must be air tight. Otherwize, the acid will quickly absorb moisture from the air and become diluted.