In a related article, we’ve explored in detail what brick acid is. We’re going to go back into this chemical and look at the uses of brick acid.
But firstly, let’s recap what brick acid is. It’s basically hydrogen chloride (HCl) dissolved in water. A liquid with a strong smell, it’s miscible with water, hazardous and corrosive. It is also known as muriatic acid and hydrochloric acid.
Uses of Brick Acid
Well, brick acid does exactly what it says on the tin. When it comes to brick cleaning, brick acid is the best product available. It dissolves sodium carbonate, a common cause of efflorescing salts in brickwork, and removes dirt from the surface of bricks, as well as limescale, cement, mortar, oil, grease, and other surface marks.
Brick acid is such a good cleaner because it has a synergistic effect, meaning that the hydrogen chloride and water it’s made up of combine to produce an effect greater than the sum of their individual effects. Brick acid rapidly penetrates and removes deposits that you could not normally clean with other acids.
Brick acid can also be used on other mineral surfaces such as paving and concrete. However, it should not be used on natural stone, such as limestone and marble, because it could strip away the top layer and stain or damage the bricks permanently.
Where Is Brick Acid Used?
Brick acid is commonly used in the cleaning of public, commercial, and residential buildings. It is important to identify the type of brickwork to be cleaned, as using the wrong cleaning product can actually be detrimental and cause more harm than good.
It is also important that the correct safety precautions are in place, as brick acid is a hazardous chemical that should be handled with care and stored appropriately. For example, this means wearing protective clothing, working in a well-ventilated area, and keeping brick acid out of direct sunlight (as there is a risk of explosion if it gets too hot).
