I have an experiment that involves bubbling sulfur dioxide through ~40% nitric acid. Would silicone rubber tubes (from an aquarium store) be able to handle the nitric acid or would I need glass?

Use Glass!

 

I gotta ask though, What is it supposed to do?

 

I can see it making a mix of acids, Nitric Sulphurous and possibly sulphuric.

According to sciencemadness, it will create H2SO4 and NO as a byproduct. I'm just testing it on a small scale.

 

3SO2 + 2HNO3 + 2H2O --> 3H2SO4 + 2NO

well HNO3 is a Very good oxidiser, so it`s certainly conceivable

 

although H2O2 would probably cheaper to buy and can leave no contamination traces.

 

but yes, use Glass, even if it`s just for the parts that are immersed in the Liquid side (SO2 will still attack the rubber though).

Actually, the nitric will be regenerated because the SO2 + HNO3 reaction gives off NO as well, which can be mixed with oxygen and bubbled into water.

 

The thread on scimad is http://www.sciencemadness.org/talk/viewthread.php?tid=2824

 

Page two is where the idea is mentioned.