Replacement for Chromic Sulfuric Acid

Q. We are discontinuing the use of Chromic Sulfuric Acid and need a worthy substitute. What do you recommend?

A. Chromic sulfuric acid was historically used to clean laboratory glassware back before the advent of laboratory detergents. It was effective on a very wide range of residues and water solubility gave interfering, residue-free surfaces. Of course, chromic sulfuric acid is also highly hazardous and difficult to dispose.

Modern laboratory detergents such as those made by Alconox, Inc. can replace chromic sulfuric acid cleaning to give residue-free surfaces that are suitable for use in analytical labs, hospitals and other highly regulated environments where critical cleaning is a necessity. In the 1940s and 1950s, the original Alconox® Powdered Precision Cleaner  substantially replaced most laboratory cleaning applications using chromic sulfuric acid.

Therefore we recommend you try Alconox powdered detergent for general cleaning applications.  Liquinox® Critical Cleaning Liquid Detergent is a functional equivalent to the Alconox powder in a liquid concentrate.  For inorganic substances including salts, oxides and other acid labile residues, Citranox® Liquid Acid Cleaner and Detergent can be considered.  For cleaning pipets use Alcotabs® Critical Cleaning Detergent Tablets.

To request these or any Alconox, Inc. detergents for free, please complete the questionnaire at Get Sample.  For more information about any one of our Alconox, Inc. detergents, consult the technical bulletin for each product. Or click here to access each of our detergent’s  Safety Data Sheets.

Do you have a critical cleaning question for the experts at Alconox, Inc.?  Search TechNotes to see if it’s been answered before or Ask Alconox.

Contact us any time: cleaning@alconox.com