Description
Oxalic acid is safe to use around the home, as long as you take the correct safety precautions.
Rust stains on porous surfaces such as carpets and clothing can be removed by using oxalic products. Applying the chemical to the effected area and blotting the excess will make the carpet look as good as new. Beware – do not use normal household bleach to remove rust stains – it will make it worse!
Oxalic acid can be used to remove blood, ink and urine stains from carpets.
Oxalic acid can also be found in various household cleaning products such as Barkeeper’s friend, a popular wood product from the United States.
If you love to restore old furnuiture as a hobby or have some old wooden pieces that need a lift, use oxalic acid to freshen and lighten the wood after it has been stripped back.
The woodworking and joinery trade make extensive use of oxalic acid.
Crystals of oxalic acid rubbed onto wooden beams and floors removes unsightly stains caused by age, exterior exposure or rust easily.
It is not only wood that oxalic acid works wonders on. It can also be used to treat, polish and repair other materials such as stone, marble and stainless steel.
Technical Bulletin
Label
Oxalic acid is an organic compound with the formula H2C2O4. This colorless crystalline solid is a dicarboxylic acid. In terms of acid strength, it is about 3,000 times stronger than acetic acid. Oxalic acid is a reducing agent and its conjugate base, known as oxalate (C2O42−), is a chelating agent for metal cations. Typically oxalic acid occurs as the dihydrate with the formula H2C2O4•2H2O.
LABEL PROPERTY
Physical state ………. Granules or Crystals
Colour…………………. White to Clear
Odour ………………… Odourless
Solubility …………….. Soluble in water , glycerol and alcohol. Partially soluble in ether. Insoluble in chloroform, petroleum ether and benzene
Specific Gravity ….. 1.65 at 20°C
Vapour Density (air=1) ….. Not available
Vapour Pressure (20 °C)… <0.14 Pa
Flash Point (°C).................. Not applicable
Flammability Limits (%)...... Not applicable
Autoignition Temperature (°C) ................ Not applicable
Melting Point/Range (°C) ......................... 101.5 (dihydrate)
Boiling Point/Range (°C) .......................... 149 - 160 (dihydrate)
Decomposition Point (°C) ........................ Not available
pH ........................................................... 1.3 (0.1m soln)
