Walk through a steel pickling line, a water treatment plant or a gelatin factory and you will find the same molecule doing the heavy lifting: hydrochloric acid (HCl). Also traded as muriatic acid, it is one of the highest-volume industrial chemicals in the world, prized for dissolving metal oxides, crushing pH and feeding an entire family of chloride salts. This guide covers what HCl is, how the 30-37% commercial grades differ, where each industry uses it, and what to check on packaging, safety and documentation before you place a bulk order — in Turkey or for export.
What Is Hydrochloric Acid (HCl)?
Hydrochloric acid is a water solution of hydrogen chloride (HCl) gas. It is a clear, colourless-to-pale-yellow liquid with a sharp, pungent odour and strongly corrosive behaviour. Chemically it is a strong mineral acid: it dissociates almost completely in water, which is why small dosing volumes produce large, predictable pH shifts.
A faint yellow tint in commercial product usually comes from trace iron and chlorine compounds. Colour alone says little about quality — the numbers that matter are the impurity limits on the certificate of analysis (COA).
Identity at a glance
| Property | Value / Note |
|---|---|
| Chemical name | Hydrochloric acid (aqueous hydrogen chloride) |
| Trade name | Muriatic acid |
| CAS number | 7647-01-0 |
| EC number | 231-595-7 |
| Molecular formula | HCl |
| Molar mass | 36.46 g/mol |
| Appearance | Clear, colourless to pale yellow liquid |
| Odour | Sharp, pungent |
| Commercial strengths | 30-33% (technical), 36-37% (concentrated) |
| Transport class | ADR Class 8 (corrosive), UN 1789 |
Much of the world's HCl supply is recovered as a by-product of chlor-alkali plants and organic chlorination processes, which keeps it economical compared with other strong acids. It also means the HCl price moves with the chlorine and caustic soda markets — worth remembering when you compare quotes across quarters.
Commercial Grades: The 30-37% Range and Density Table
The first parameter to fix in any purchase is concentration. The global workhorse is 30-33% technical grade (about 19-21 Baumé on the older scale). Concentrated 36-37% acid serves laboratories and synthesis plants.
One threshold matters in practice: the HCl-water system forms an azeotrope near 20.2%, and solutions above roughly 33% visibly release hydrogen chloride vapour in open air (fuming grades). For most routine applications, 37% acid adds handling risk and vapour losses without adding value. Even if your process runs on 15% dilute acid, the economical route is usually to buy 32% and dilute on site under controlled conditions.
Density is your quick field check: at 20 C, every ~2% increase in concentration raises density by roughly 0.010 g/cm3.
| Concentration (w/w) | Approx. Baumé | Density (20 C) | Typical use |
|---|---|---|---|
| 28% | 18 Bé | ~1.139 g/cm3 | General cleaning, pH reduction, dilute baths |
| 30-31% | 19-20 Bé | ~1.149-1.155 g/cm3 | Water treatment, resin regeneration |
| 32-33% | 20-21 Bé | ~1.159-1.165 g/cm3 | Standard technical grade: pickling, chloride production |
| 35-36% | 22 Bé | ~1.174-1.179 g/cm3 | Demanding synthesis duties |
| 37% | 23 Bé | ~1.184 g/cm3 | Concentrated/laboratory grade, analytical work |
A worked dilution example
Suppose your process needs 1,000 kg of 15% solution. The mass balance is straightforward:
- Pure HCl required: 1,000 × 0.15 = 150 kg
- A 32% product carries 0.32 kg HCl per kg: 150 / 0.32 = 469 kg of 32% acid
- Make-up water: 1,000 − 469 = 531 kg
- In volume terms: 469 kg / 1.159 g/cm3 ≈ 405 litres of 32% acid
Dilution is exothermic: add the acid slowly into the water while stirring, and monitor the temperature rise. The same arithmetic explains why buying 32% in bulk beats buying pre-diluted acid in most scenarios — every extra tonne of water you ship comes back as freight cost.
When ordering, confirm strength both as a percentage and as a density value. Trade names such as "muriatic acid", "spirits of salt" or "acid 20 Bé" vary between suppliers and markets; the COA figures are the common language. Yüksek Kimya issues a batch COA with concentration, density and impurity values on every shipment.
Key Uses of Hydrochloric Acid (HCl) by Industry
HCl earns its volume through versatility: it dissolves metal oxides, drops pH fast, breaks down carbonates and is the direct feedstock for chloride salts.
Metal surface treatment and pickling
Steel pickling is the single largest global use of hydrochloric acid. The oxide scale that forms during hot rolling is stripped in 18-22% HCl baths at 20-40 C. Compared with sulphuric acid pickling, HCl baths run cooler, leave a brighter surface, and spent liquor can be regenerated or converted to iron chloride coagulants.
The same chemistry drives surface activation before hot-dip galvanizing, pre-plating cleaning in fastener production and post-weld oxide removal. Bath management hinges on corrosion inhibitors: a properly inhibited bath dissolves the oxide while protecting the base metal, cutting acid consumption by 20-30%.
pH control and neutralization
For neutralizing alkaline effluent before discharge, trimming process-water pH or controlling cooling-tower chemistry, HCl is a fast, predictable pH reducer. Because it is a strong acid, closed-loop dosing with pH probes and metering pumps is standard practice — manual slug dosing overshoots easily.
Water treatment and ion-exchange resin regeneration
Demineralization plants regenerate cation exchange resins with HCl diluted to 4-6%. Power stations, textile dyehouses and any site producing boiler feed water are therefore steady HCl consumers. Reverse-osmosis pretreatment dosing and CIP descaling of carbonate deposits round out the water-side demand.
Food industry and E507
In food legislation hydrochloric acid is listed as additive E507. Starch hydrolysis for glucose syrups, demineralization of bone and hide in gelatin production, and acidity regulation in selected processes all call for food-grade HCl with certified heavy-metal limits. Specify the grade explicitly at the enquiry stage — technical and food-grade product are not interchangeable.
Production of inorganic chlorides
HCl is the direct raw material for a family of chloride salts:
- Ferric chloride (FeCl3): wastewater coagulant
- Calcium chloride (CaCl2): de-icing, dust control, concrete additive
- Zinc chloride (ZnCl2): galvanizing flux, battery chemistry
- Aluminium chloride and PAC: drinking and process water coagulants
Other industrial applications
Leather pickling before tanning, ore leaching in mining, oil-well acidizing, post-construction removal of cement and mortar residues, and printed-circuit-board processing in electronics all rely on regular HCl supply.
Safety: GHS Classification and Handling a Corrosive
Hydrochloric acid is classified as a corrosive substance under GHS. Labels carry the GHS05 (corrosion) and GHS07 (exclamation mark) pictograms with the signal word "Danger", and typically these hazard statements:
- H290: May be corrosive to metals
- H314: Causes severe skin burns and eye damage
- H335: May cause respiratory irritation
Core rules for safe handling on site:
- PPE: Acid-resistant gloves (butyl/nitrile), sealed goggles or face shield, acid apron; a suitable gas-filter respirator where vapour exposure is possible.
- Dilution direction: Always add acid to water, never the reverse.
- Incompatibilities: Keep HCl strictly away from sodium hypochlorite (bleach) — contact releases toxic chlorine gas. Contact with strong bases is violently exothermic; contact with metals generates flammable hydrogen.
- Emergency equipment: Eyewash and safety shower within a 10-second reach of every transfer point.
For a practical walkthrough of pictograms and H/P statements, see our GHS and CLP labelling guide.
Packaging Options: Jerrycans, IBCs and Tankers
The defining logistics constraint of HCl is that it cannot travel in bare metal packaging: the acid corrodes unprotected steel rapidly and generates hydrogen gas. Every container and storage component must be PE/PP-compatible.
| Packaging | Typical capacity | Material | Best fit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jerrycan | 25-30 kg | HDPE | Low-volume users, trial orders, sample-scale export |
| IBC tote | 1,000 L (~1,150-1,200 kg) | HDPE bottle + steel cage | Regular mid-volume consumption, forklift-equipped sites |
| Road tanker (bulk) | 20-25 t | Rubber-lined steel or PE/composite | Pickling lines, water plants, high-tonnage contracts |
Storage follows the same logic: fixed tanks in HDPE, PP, FRP or rubber-lined steel, vented so acid vapour is routed to a safe point, with secondary containment (bund) sized to at least the tank volume. Keep jerrycans and IBCs out of direct sunlight and segregated from bases and oxidizers. Our chemical storage and ADR transport guide provides a warehouse-level checklist.
ADR Class 8 Transport: UN 1789
By road, hydrochloric acid moves as ADR Class 8 (corrosives) under UN 1789; solutions above 25% fall into packing group II. In practice this means:
- ADR-certified drivers and approved vehicles
- UN-certified packaging (the UN mark embossed on jerrycans and IBCs)
- Orange plates and Class 8 hazard labels
- Written instructions (TREM card) and PPE kit carried in the cab
For export buyers, the same classification governs sea freight under IMDG. Confirm with your supplier that packaging carries valid UN certification and that dangerous-goods declarations are prepared correctly — a rejected DG booking costs far more than the freight difference. Yüksek Kimya ships corrosive products through ADR-compliant logistics as standard.
Documentation for Buyers: SDS, COA and Incoterms
In a professional purchase, the paperwork is as important as the price:
- SDS (Safety Data Sheet): the 16-section document your risk assessments, storage plans and emergency procedures are built on. Ask for it in the language your safety team works in.
- COA (Certificate of Analysis): batch-specific values for HCl content (%), density, iron (Fe, ppm), free chlorine and sulphate. Typical technical-grade limits: min. 30-32% HCl, Fe max. 5-10 ppm depending on class, free chlorine max. 10-50 ppm.
- Specification sign-off: process-critical limits — iron for pickling, heavy metals for food applications — should be confirmed in writing before the first order.
- Incoterms for export: agree EXW, FOB or CIF explicitly, together with who books the DG freight and who issues the dangerous-goods declaration.
For background on how regulatory registrations and SDS obligations flow through the supply chain, our KKDİK, REACH and MSDS guide is a useful primer.
What Drives the Hydrochloric Acid Price?
Five variables decide the number on your quote:
- Concentration: 32% technical and 37% concentrated differ in both unit price and freight — with dilute acid you also pay to transport water.
- Volume and regularity: scheduled monthly IBC or tanker offtake earns a visibly better unit price than one-off jerrycan purchases.
- Packaging: bulk tanker gives the lowest cost per tonne; IBC and jerrycan formats carry packaging cost.
- Logistics distance: ADR freight is priced above standard haulage, and for export the DG surcharge on sea freight applies.
- Market balance: because HCl supply rides on chlor-alkali and chlorination output, tightness in those markets feeds directly into acid pricing.
To compare suppliers fairly, request quotes with identical concentration, packaging, delivery terms and document set.
Sourcing Hydrochloric Acid from Yüksek Kimya
Yüksek Kimya is a B2B chemical distributor based in Kestel, Bursa — in the middle of Turkey's Marmara industrial belt — supplying hydrochloric acid in wholesale volumes across Turkey and to export customers. Browse our acids category for complementary products such as sulphuric, phosphoric, nitric and acetic acid, or go straight to the hydrochloric acid product page for specifications.
What our supply process is built on:
- Certified operations: ISO 9001, ISO 14001, ISO 45001 and GHP certificates; SDS and COA issued with every shipment
- Flexible packaging: 25-30 kg jerrycans, 1,000 L IBCs and bulk tanker deliveries
- ADR-compliant shipping: certified Class 8 corrosive transport
- Export support: documentation in English, Incoterms agreed per order, samples available for qualification
To request a quote: tell us the concentration you need (30-33% or 37%), your estimated monthly tonnage and preferred packaging via our contact page — our sales team will confirm the right grade and a current HCl price the same day. Trial orders and pre-shipment samples are handled through the same channel.
Related Reading
Frequently Asked Questions
Is hydrochloric acid the same as muriatic acid?
Essentially, yes. Muriatic acid is the traditional trade name for technical-grade hydrochloric acid, typically supplied at 30-33% concentration. In industrial commerce the product is specified as hydrochloric acid (HCl), CAS 7647-01-0, with the exact concentration confirmed on the certificate of analysis.
What concentrations of hydrochloric acid are commercially available?
The workhorse commercial grade is 30-33% HCl (roughly 19-21 Baumé), while 36-37% is sold as concentrated grade for synthesis and laboratory use. Solutions above about 33% fume noticeably in open air. Density tracks concentration: 32% HCl has a density of about 1.159 g/cm3 at 20 C.
How is hydrochloric acid packaged and shipped?
Because HCl attacks bare steel, it ships only in acid-resistant plastics: 25-30 kg HDPE jerrycans, 1,000-litre IBC totes (about 1,150-1,200 kg net) and rubber-lined or PE-bodied road tankers for bulk. Road transport falls under ADR Class 8, UN 1789, packing group II for solutions above 25%.
What documents should a hydrochloric acid supplier provide?
At minimum a current safety data sheet (SDS) and a batch-specific certificate of analysis (COA) stating HCl content, density, iron and free chlorine levels. For export orders, agree Incoterms, packaging certification (UN-marked) and language of documentation before the first shipment.