After storing Car Battery Sulfuric acid in a glass for about a day, I decided to open the jar. When I opened it, I smelled a very powerful chlorine like smell and is wondering what had happened.

 

Is this a normal smell acompanied by this acid after storage in a glass container? Is there a risk of dangerous fumes?

 

There seems to be a black pricipitate on the bottom. I think its lead dioxide.

Does the jar have a metal or plastic lid? If there are no contaminants in the acid, it could be a reaction to the lid. In a laboratory, sulphuric acid is stored in a glass jar with a ground glass stopper.

There is a small plastic lid, but it does not contact the H2SO4. I had planned to cover it with teflon tape.

 

Could this plastic be causing it? Would it contaminate the entire content of H2SO4 and make it unuseable?

Wouldn't some of the sulfuric acid evaporate and condense on the plastic lid?

Very unlikely at SRTP.

WE have about 3 gallons of 30% (Car battery strength) sulphuric acid stored in 5 gallon plastic jugs. It doesn't appear to be normal plastic however (It's really heavy and white) and the acid is fine.

WE have about 3 gallons of 30% (Car battery strength) sulphuric acid stored in 5 gallon plastic jugs. It doesn't appear to be normal plastic however (It's really heavy and white) and the acid is fine.

 

HDPE and certain other plastics can handle sulfuric at certain concentrations

 

When I bought my first H2SO4 it was in a High-Density Polyethelene container, 90% concentration, but it also had an inhibitor (which I have distilled out). After I distilled it out though, I put the acid in some special flasks for storage.