Perchloric acid is a strong and explosive acid commonly used in chemical laboratories. Its derivative, perchlorate, is used in rocket propellants and to treat hyperthyroidism. Perchlorate contamination in drinking water is a concern and may require regulation.
Perchloric acid is a strong acid which is explosive when concentrated. It is a common reagent in chemical laboratories, where it requires a special fume hood and training to use. The uses of perchloric acid range from etching liquid crystal displays and oxide layers to digesting organic matter. Its main use is as an oxidizing agent to catalyze chemical reactions or to cause explosions.
The chemical formula of perchloric acid is HClO4, making it an oxoacid of chlorine, an acid that contains oxygen. Commercially, perchloric acid is a liquid sold at 70-72% strength. At this strength, it is highly caustic. At room temperature, it can cause severe burns to the skin, eyes and mucous membranes.
A derivative of perchloric acid is perchlorate, which contains ClO4-. Perchlorate can be found naturally or be manufactured, and has been found on Mars. Several perchlorate salts are used industrially. These include sodium perchlorate, known chemically as NaClO4, and ammonium perchlorate, also known as NH4ClO4, among others. Salts are solid at room temperature and are usually soluble in water. They are hygroscopic, meaning they have a tendency to absorb water from the atmosphere.
The most important use of salts is that of ammonium perchlorate as an oxidizer for rocket propellants. This involves the transfer of oxygen atoms from the ammonium perchlorate to the fuel. This oxidation can generate a combustion that continues without external ignition. Its uses in rockets have ranged from the US Space Shuttle and military rockets, to fireworks.
Originally, sodium perchlorate was used as the primary oxidizer for rocket propellants. Ammonium perchlorate was found to be superior, because it is less hygroscopic. Perchlorate salts can also be explosive when mixed with organic compounds, but they are more stable than the compounds found in fireworks. There was, however, a large and lethal explosion in the United States in which an ammonium perchlorate plant was destroyed in 1988. This is known as the PEPCON disaster.
Perchlorate is used in many countries to treat hyperthyroidism, the overproduction of thyroid hormone. It can be used this way because it inhibits the uptake of iodide in the thyroid gland. This is a cause for concern, since perchlorate has been found in the drinking water of more than 100 percent of public water systems in the United States. It has also been found in cow’s milk and several brands of infant formula in the United States.
Perchlorate buildup in drinking water and groundwater can occur naturally, from industrial contamination or from fireworks on lakes. The US government is considering regulating perchlorate levels. Different states have their own regulations. You can remove perchlorate from drinking water with a home reverse osmosis water treatment system.
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