zolacat999
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UK - Schwerter's Soloution - Legality?
Hi all,
First post on the forum but looks like a great site so will be around im sure 
My current issue is I am looking to make Schwerter's Solution (for silver testing). With that in mind I need two main items:
- Nitric Acid (people opinion vary on strength from 35 to 70%)
- Potassium Dichromate
From my research so far Nitric acid is now a controlled substance in the UK over 3% can anyone confirm this? If so I guess I need a EPP licence? Once
I have the required licence i am them legally allowed to obtain and keep nitric acid over 3% strength?
2nd Potassium Dichromate, the law here seems less clear, am I allowed to buy this or would this also need to be added onto the EPP licence?
Finally, if the law does allow me to aqauire the chemicals and I successfully make the solution, what is the law on distribution could I give out/
sell within friend circles? (I am part time metal detectorist so we all want schwerters soloution to test silver)
Many thanks in advance for any help.
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woelen
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Nitric acid indeed requires a license. If you have a license, then you are NOT allowed to share the acid with friends. All of the people who you want
to give the acid also need a license.
In the EU potassium dichromate is not (yet) forbidden, but it might be that in the UK the rules are more strict. I read about strict laws on poisonous
compounds as well as on explosives precursors.
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zolacat999
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Thanks for your reply
So with the nitric acid even once it has been mixed with the Potassium Dichromate the nitric acid part of the compound still needs the licence?
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ficolas
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Is it possible for a particular to get a license? I have looked up a bit on the interned and they seem quite cheap, (40£ for quite a lot of chemicals
3 years)
Im just curious, the licenses seem just like a way to keep people with access to these things controlled
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NEMO-Chemistry
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There is a freedom of information site, i remember reading on it a few months ago, someone asked for information on the number of licenses that had
been granted in the UK so far.
I dont think it was many! Once you have a license you also have to comply with storage regs etc, i dont think its as straightforward as it was
intended to be.
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