Can dilute hydrochloric acid be used to remove scale?

We all know that scale is a substance that often appears after people boil water. This is because the water contains some mineral elements. Through the boiling of hot water, the minerals are precipitated, and scale appears over a long period of time. Scale is very harmful to people's health. Studies have shown that scale can increase the risk of kidney stones. Therefore, how to remove scale has become a very important issue. Dilute hydrochloric acid is a corrosive chemical. Do you know if you can use dilute hydrochloric acid to remove scale?

Using dilute hydrochloric acid to remove scale is a good way. The main components of scale are calcium carbonate and magnesium hydroxide, which can undergo chemical changes with acids. Based on this principle, pour some vinegar (the main ingredient is CH3COOH, organic acid - acetic acid) into the kettle and warm it on the fire. You will see dense small bubbles appear on the scale and the scale will be shattered. Scale can also be removed using dilute hydrochloric acid (HCl, a strong acid). Dilute hydrochloric acid is more capable of "digesting" calcium carbonate than vinegar. However, you must be very careful when operating it to avoid corroding your handles with the hydrochloric acid. You should know that hydrochloric acid and aluminum (Al) react easily. If it is an enameled kettle and the enamel has not fallen off, it is of course better to use dilute hydrochloric acid to remove scale. It will be easier to remove the scale from the thermos bottle in this way.

Descaling in daily life

The method of using vinegar is more common and simple

①Descaling the kettle by boiling sweet potatoes In a new kettle,

Put more than half a kettle full of sweet potatoes, fill it with water, and cook the sweet potatoes. Then when you boil water later, there will be no scale accumulation. But be careful not to scrub the inner wall of the kettle after boiling sweet potatoes, otherwise the descaling effect will be lost. For old kettles that are full of scale, after boiling them once or twice using the above method, not only will the original scale gradually fall off, but it will also prevent scale from accumulating again.

② Use baking soda to remove scale. When boiling water in an aluminum kettle with scale, add 1 teaspoon of baking soda and boil it for a few minutes to remove the scale.

③Boil eggs to remove scale. The scale on the kettle that boils water will become hard and difficult to remove after being used for a long time. If you use it to boil eggs twice, you will get the desired effect.

④ Use potato peels to remove scale. After using an aluminum kettle or aluminum pot for a period of time, a thin layer of scale will form. Put the potato peels in it, add appropriate amount of water, bring to a boil, and cook for about 10 minutes before removing them.

⑤ Remove scale due to thermal expansion and contraction. Place the empty kettle on the stove and dry the moisture in the scale. When cracks appear on the bottom of the kettle or a "bang" sound is heard at the bottom of the kettle, remove the kettle and quickly pour in cold water. Or wrap the handle and spout with a rag, hold it with both hands, and quickly place the dried kettle in cold water (do not let water flow into the kettle). Repeat 2 to 3 times and the scale on the bottom of the pot will fall off due to thermal expansion and contraction.

Can we use dilute hydrochloric acid to remove scale? Looking at the introduction above, we have learned that dilute hydrochloric acid can play a good chemical reaction with scale, so it can better remove scale. Scale has a very large impact on people. Therefore, for people’s health, we must regularly remove scale in daily life to avoid the breeding of bacteria and maintain the service life of objects.