nitric acid
Enable an agent to identify nitric acid, assess the condition and suitability of a particular material, and determine which handling or use decisions require further evidence.
Bundle → Layer → Finding → Questions Filled
6 bundles · 11 layers · 19 findings · 29 questions
Nitric acid identity and boundaries Establishes which chemical entity is represented and where nitric acid records end and neighbouring substance or formulation records begin.
Chemical identity
Connects the registry entry to independently supported substance identifiers.
HNO3 identity evidence
Record the basis for identifying the material as nitric acid and the authority behind each external identifier.
- Which evidence establishes nitric acid identity rather than merely low pH or the presence of nitrate? definition
- Which authoritative records establish the CAS number, PubChem CID and EC number, and what entity does each record cover? provenance
Substance and mixture boundary
Distinguishes forms of nitric acid from related compounds and separately modelled formulations.
Solution versus formulation
Represent aqueous concentration as a material attribute while linking separately named formulations to their own models.
- Is this material nitric acid, an aqueous nitric acid solution or a formulation containing additional intentional constituents? boundary
- Which constituents are impurities, grade-defining additions or ingredients that require a separate formulation record? boundary
Composition and grade Describes the acid, water, nitrogen oxide and impurity composition that gives a nitric acid sample its practical identity.
Acid, water and nitrogen oxides
Makes concentration claims and nitrogen oxide reporting comparable.
Composition basis
Record HNO3 assay, water and dissolved nitrogen oxides with methods and reporting bases.
- What are the measured HNO3 and water contents, and are the results expressed on compatible bases? measurement
- How is dissolved nitrogen oxide content measured and reported, and could it affect the interpretation of the acid assay? measurement
Grade and contaminants
Links commercial grade claims to measurable acceptance criteria.
Grade evidence
Treat grade names as claims requiring specifications and batch evidence.
- Which specification defines this supplier's concentrated, fuming, reagent or trace-analysis grade? provenance
- Which impurity limits and batch results determine whether this material is suitable for its declared use? action
Physical state and condition Relates observable condition and physical-property data to nitric acid composition and environment.
Conditioned physical properties
Records properties together with the conditions under which they apply.
Property applicability
Require composition and environmental context for density, phase transitions and volatility data.
- Which density, freezing and boiling data apply to this HNO3 concentration at the stated temperature or pressure? measurement
- Does the reference describe pure HNO3, an aqueous mixture or azeotropic behaviour, and which interpretation fits this sample? boundary
Condition over time
Tracks changes without assigning a cause solely from visual observations.
Appearance and composition change
Connect colour, clarity and fuming observations to storage history and analytical evidence.
- How have colour, clarity, fuming observations and measured composition changed since the material was received? measurement
- What evidence distinguishes expected grade appearance from decomposition, contamination or a change in concentration? provenance
Hazards and compatibility Supports assessment of corrosive and oxidizing behaviour, airborne exposure and material contact.
Hazard and exposure evidence
Links the actual material to applicable hazard classifications and airborne exposure criteria.
Composition-specific hazards
Record classification and exposure evidence with its concentration range, jurisdiction and date.
- Which corrosivity, oxidizing and other hazard classifications apply to this composition under the relevant jurisdiction? provenance
- Which exposure limits apply to nitric acid vapour or mist, and must nitrogen dioxide be assessed separately for this material or activity? boundary
Contact and containment
Evaluates specific contact materials and incompatible substances using condition-matched evidence.
Compatibility evidence
Require documented compatibility for the proposed concentration, temperature and exposure duration.
- What evidence supports compatibility of the proposed vessel, closure, seal and transfer-contact materials with this nitric acid composition? provenance
- Which potential contacts with organics, reducing agents, bases or metals require segregation or specialist review under the applicable guidance? action
Traceability and use decisions Connects a nitric acid material record to batch evidence, jurisdictional records and a declared intended use.
Batch and document traceability
Keeps supplier claims and regulatory records attached to the material they actually describe.
Document-to-material match
Check agreement among the container label, supplier product record, safety data sheet and certificate of analysis.
- Do the label, product identifier, batch number, concentration and grade agree across the available documents? provenance
- Which dated transport or jurisdictional records apply to this concentration and formulation rather than to nitric acid generically? boundary
Fitness for declared use
Turns composition, condition and compatibility evidence into a bounded suitability decision.
Use acceptance evidence
Compare the material with explicit requirements and preserve unresolved evidence gaps.
- What concentration, impurity, condition and compatibility requirements must this batch satisfy for the declared use? action
- Which missing, conflicting or outdated evidence prevents a suitability decision and requires qualified review? action
Evidence and external alignment What the world already says about this thing, gathered so the model can be checked against it.
Reported evidence
Findings from the breadth pass, kept separate from the structural claims.
Check these first
Recalled without web access and unsourced; every item is a lead to verify.
- Which of these check these first hold for the sense of nitric acid this model covers, and on what evidence? provenance
Kinds and varieties
Recalled without web access and unsourced; every item is a lead to verify.
- Which of these kinds and varieties hold for the sense of nitric acid this model covers, and on what evidence? provenance
Identifiers and schemes
Recalled without web access and unsourced; every item is a lead to verify.
- Which of these identifiers and schemes hold for the sense of nitric acid this model covers, and on what evidence? provenance
Standards and regulation
Recalled without web access and unsourced; every item is a lead to verify.
- Which of these standards and regulation hold for the sense of nitric acid this model covers, and on what evidence? provenance
Real-world use
Recalled without web access and unsourced; every item is a lead to verify.
- Which of these real-world use hold for the sense of nitric acid this model covers, and on what evidence? provenance
Typical measurements
Recalled without web access and unsourced; every item is a lead to verify.
- Which of these typical measurements hold for the sense of nitric acid this model covers, and on what evidence? provenance
Failure modes and hazards
Recalled without web access and unsourced; every item is a lead to verify.
- Which of these failure modes and hazards hold for the sense of nitric acid this model covers, and on what evidence? provenance
Regional variation
Recalled without web access and unsourced; every item is a lead to verify.
- Which of these regional variation hold for the sense of nitric acid this model covers, and on what evidence? provenance
Neighbouring kinds and how to tell them apart
Recalled without web access and unsourced; every item is a lead to verify.
- Which of these neighbouring kinds and how to tell them apart hold for the sense of nitric acid this model covers, and on what evidence? provenance
Classifiers Filled
- Family
- Thing Registry
- Category
- Physical world and living systems
- Entry kind
- thing
- Plane
- PHY
- Domain
- PHY.MAT
- Other names and narrower kinds
- Nitric-15N acid solution, (¹⁵N,¹⁸O₃)Nitric acid
What it is Filled
Nitric acid (HNO₃) is a nitrogen oxoacid that is strongly acidic in aqueous solution and acts as a corrosive oxidizing reagent, with behavior dependent on concentration, temperature and dissolved nitrogen oxides.
In scope
- Nitric acid identity and distinctions from nitrous acid, nitrate salts and mixed-acid formulations
- Anhydrous and aqueous forms, with explicit concentration bases and dissolved nitrogen oxide content
- Purity, commercial grade, trace contaminants and evidence of fitness for an intended use
- Physical properties and material condition at stated temperature, pressure and composition
- Composition-dependent hazards, compatibility and jurisdiction-specific identity records
Out of scope
- Industrial processes and equipment that manufacture nitric acid
- Finished products and mixed-acid formulations containing nitric acid
- Nitrate salts and nitrous acid as independently registered substances
- Facility ventilation, storage installations and transport equipment
- Medical diagnosis and treatment following exposure
- Detailed procedures for chemical synthesis or reactive processing
Why it exists Filled
Enable an agent to identify nitric acid, assess the condition and suitability of a particular material, and determine which handling or use decisions require further evidence.
Distinguishing features Filled
- The chemical identity is HNO3; HNO2 identifies nitrous acid, while a nitrate salt requires a counterion and is not itself nitric acid.
- Low pH alone cannot identify nitric acid; identification must distinguish it from other acids and establish the relevant chemical composition.
- A nitric acid solution requires a stated HNO3 concentration and reporting basis; the name alone does not distinguish dilute solution, concentrated solution and anhydrous material.
- Fuming designations require composition evidence, including dissolved nitrogen oxides where relevant; visible fumes or colour alone do not establish a grade.
- A formulation containing another deliberately added acid belongs to a mixture model, with nitric acid represented as a constituent.
What robots and AI may and may not do Filled
Must not
- Assist in making explosives or weapons with nitric acid.
- Help anyone use it to injure people or damage property.
- Handle it without suitable protective equipment and ventilation.
- Store it with incompatible materials or in unlabelled containers.
- Help acquire it while evading legal controls.
Only with a human decision
- Responding to a spill or exposure.
- Supplying it to another party.
May
- Describe nitric acid's hazards and lawful uses from safety data sheets.
- Report spills or unsafe storage to the responsible person.
Moral aspects Filled
- Corrosive acids have been used in attacks that cause lifelong injury.
- Releases harm workers, neighbours and waterways.
Who is affected
- Workers and laboratory staff
- Bystanders
- Emergency responders
Owners Filled
Steward
The holder of each quantity; chemical safety and precursor control authorities regulate it.
Master systems
- Chemical substance registries
- Explosives precursor licensing records
Links to other meta-models Filled
parent
- Q113547431 - registry parent class
- Q408683 - registry parent class
- Q4272322 - registry parent class
What else AI and robots need to interact with it Filled
Identity and identifiers required Filled
- Vercy registry: vr.tr.nitric-acid
- Wikidata: Q83320 (https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q83320)
Direct properties required Filled
- Chemical and registry identity: HNO3; vr.tr.nitric-acid; source-verified CAS, PubChem and EC identifiers
- HNO3 concentration: Mass fraction or mass percent preferred; other bases explicitly named, with temperature where relevant
- Water content: Mass percent, with analytical method and uncertainty
- Dissolved nitrogen oxide content: Reported species or analytical equivalent, concentration basis and method
- Grade and impurity specification: Supplier grade, governing specification and batch certificate; impurity limits in mg/kg or µg/kg
- Physical state and appearance: Phase, colour, clarity, visible solids and observed fuming, with observation conditions
- Temperature and pressure: °C or K; kPa absolute
- Density and phase-transition properties: Density in kg/m³; melting or freezing and boiling temperatures in °C, each tied to composition and applicable conditions
- Hazard and exposure-limit applicability: Material linked to dated classification and exposure-limit sources, jurisdiction, concentration range and averaging period
- Contact-material compatibility: Material pair, concentration, temperature, exposure duration and supporting compatibility evidence
Recognition required Filled
- A colourless to yellowish fuming liquid with a sharp smell.
- Containers bearing corrosive and oxidiser hazard pictograms.
Capabilities and actions required Filled
- Match a label, safety data sheet and batch certificate to the nitric acid identity and actual material composition.
- Compare concentration and impurity evidence against the requirements of a declared use.
- Select physical-property references that match the sample's composition and conditions.
- Flag unexplained changes in appearance or composition for qualified assessment.
- Check proposed containment and contact materials against documented compatibility conditions.
- Identify missing hazard, exposure or jurisdictional evidence before authorizing a proposed activity.
Hazards and failure modes required Filled
- Severe chemical burns to skin and eyes.
- Toxic fumes when it reacts or decomposes.
- Fire when it contacts organic material.
Standards and interfaces required Filled
- Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals, United Nations.
- Regulation (EU) 2019/1148 on the marketing and use of explosives precursors, European Union.
Context of use required Filled
- Nitric acid is encountered in chemical manufacturing, analytical laboratories and metal processing.
- It is used to manufacture nitrate products, digest samples for analysis and perform controlled surface treatments.
- Suitability for a particular use depends on concentration, purity, dissolved nitrogen oxides and compatibility with surrounding materials.
Sources Filled
- Wikidata item Q83320: nitric acid - identity and sense of the item
- Wikipedia: Nitric acid - general description of the item
Open questions
- Which authoritative identity records should anchor the CAS, PubChem and EC identifiers and their treatment of aqueous forms?
- How do relevant suppliers or standards define concentrated, white fuming and red fuming nitric acid, including dissolved nitrogen oxide limits?
- Which evaluated property sources cover the required concentration range, including freezing behaviour, boiling behaviour and azeotropic composition?
- Which current jurisdiction-specific classifications, exposure limits and transport distinctions apply across the concentrations to be represented?
- Which analytical methods and compatibility references are sufficiently specific to support grade acceptance and condition assessment for the intended uses?
Machine files
Provenance
thing registry research (pass 2) · unreviewed
Built from: models/things/publications/thing-q83320/spec.json