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hydrochloric acid (HCl)
A clear, colorless, fuming, poisonous, highly acidic, aqueous solution of hydrogen chloride, HCl. A saturated solution of HCl contains about 43% HCl and gives a constant-boiling mixture. It is extremely corrosive and handled in glass or plastic equipment or in apparatus using special alloys (tantalum, nickel-molybdenum).
Hydrochloric acid is used in petroleum production, as a chemical intermediate, in ore reduction, food processing, pickling, and metal cleaning. It was formerly known as "spirits of salt".
Related category
• INORGANIC CHEMISTRY
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