Nitric acid fuming nitric acid at concentrations above 86%. Nitric acid is the primary reagent used for nitration – the addition of a nitro group, typically to an organic molecule. While some resulting nitro compounds are shock- and thermally-sensitive explosives, a few are stable enough to be used in munitions and demolition, while others are still more stable and used as pigments in inks and dyes. Nitric acid is also commonly used as a strong oxidizing agent. Commercially available nitric acid is an azeotrope with water at a concentration of 68% HNO, which is the ordinary concentrated nitric acid of commerce. This
Nitroacetic acid Nitroacetic acid Nitroacetic acid is the chemical compound with the formula (NO)CHCOH. This substituted carboxylic acid is used as a potential precursor to nitromethane, commonly used as a fuel in drag racing and as an organic reagent in chemical synthesis. Nitroacetic acid can be synthesized by adding cold chloroacetic acid into a cold, slightly alkaline aqueous solution, followed by mixing with aqueous sodium nitrite solution. It is important during this procedure not to make the solution too alkaline and to keep it cold to prevent the formation of sodium glycolate. Nitroacetic acid can be used in the production of nitromethane