Source of chemicals

[cmsapms]

I'm wanting to have a go at anodising some aluminium parts.

For this, I need the following chemicals:

Sulphuric acid (10-25% solution) or 50:50 battery acid,
Sodium sulphate and
Sodium hydroxide (lye).

Has anyone got any ideas for a cheap and preferably local* source for any or all of these?

I thought I'd ask here before asking at the chemist and getting arrested as a terrorist by the paranoia police :yikes: :cop: :judge:

Cheers

Paul

*West Yorkshire

[simpo two]

I don't know, but schools obviously get them from somewhere - try school suppliers?

Probably not eBay though

[D_Mike]

pharmacist?

is not... get an account with www.aldrich.com

[arh]

try www.sci-chem.co.uk/

[Pigeon]

"Brick acid" is probably hydrochloric.

Sulphuric acid can be obtained from battery suppliers, though sometimes they can be arsey about what kind of bottle you put it in - ISTR they preferred a glass bottle with metal lid to a plastic bottle, even though the glass bottle is more likely to break and its metal lid is not acid-proof. So make sure you get enough spare acid to give the HSE enemas.

Sodium hydroxide is only called lye in America. Over here it's caustic soda and you can get it from ironmongers for unblocking drains and stuff.

Once you have those two, react them together and you get sodium sulphate.

[FunkyNige]

simpo two said:

I don't know, but schools obviously get them from somewhere - try school suppliers? Probably not eBay though

Most of the school suppliers are education only, off the top of my head, we used -

Breckland Scientific supplies
Phillip Harris
Scientific and Chemical Supplies

I'm sure there were more though.