# hydrofloric acid paste **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 9, 2014, 12:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hydrofloric-acid-paste/688018 "2014-05-09T00:48:44Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![virtually\_yours](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/a587f6/32.png) [@virtually\_yours](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/virtually_yours)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2014, 12:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hydrofloric-acid-paste/688018/1 "2014-05-09T00:48:44Z")
sorry if this is extremely ot but need to find this to etch a bathtub for painting. I googled and called, home depo-ed, the mall… but to no avail. tia virtually yours ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2014, 12:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hydrofloric-acid-paste/688018/2 "2014-05-09T00:54:01Z")
Try a hobby store, you might be able to find it in paste form for etching glass. Otherwise, just regular HF might be available at Home Depot/Ace or Amazon. Careful, don’t burn your face off. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2014, 12:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hydrofloric-acid-paste/688018/3 "2014-05-09T00:55:00Z")
Search for [Tile Etching Cream](https://www.google.com/search?sourceid=navclient&aq=&oq=hydrofluoric+acid+paste&ie=UTF-8&rlz=1T4GGNI_enUS548US549&q=hydrofluoric+acid+paste&gs_l=hp...0i22i30l3.0.0.0.9600...........0.0YzVpkvXuko#q=tile+etching+cream). Some may be based on hydrofluoric acid, but any of them might do what you need. ---
**Author:** ![Sigene](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df788c/32.png) [@Sigene](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sigene)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2014, 1:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hydrofloric-acid-paste/688018/4 "2014-05-09T01:24:58Z")
I’m compelled to emphasize the inherent safety issues required for dealing with HF. Be very careful with this stuff. I doubt you would find it at the regular hardware store. It will do terrible things if note careful including ( I hear) dissolve your bones. End of safety warning. ---
**Author:** ![JKilez](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e5b9ba/32.png) [@JKilez](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKilez)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2014, 1:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hydrofloric-acid-paste/688018/5 "2014-05-09T01:58:52Z")
Is that the same stuff they use for cleaning cars? If so, then it is really is some (non-obviously) dangerous stuff. ---
**Author:** ![Jorge\_Burrito](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Jorge\_Burrito](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jorge_Burrito)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2014, 2:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hydrofloric-acid-paste/688018/6 "2014-05-09T02:19:09Z")
I really suggest you try to find a better method than use of HF. I am a chemist by training, have used a myriad of really nasty chemicals including those that burst into flame if they come in contact with air, and I still try to do everything possible to avoid working with HF. Even for skin exposure in area as small as 1"x1" with relatively dilute solutions it is suggested that you go the ER. HF easily penetrates the skin and can cause deep tissue and bone loss for days after exposure. Depending on the dilution, pain often takes several hours to manifest so you may not realize you have a burn until it is way to late to do anything about it at home. Instead, you end up in the hospital getting an injection to try and neutralize it and limit the damage. At the hospital they won’t give you painkillers as the level of pain is one of the best indications of how well the treatment is working. If you work with it, even in very dilute state, you really should have calcium gluconate solution near by for neutralization in the event you even think exposure might have happened. Having said all that, I agree your best bet will be to check a hobby store for glass etching pastes. I don’t think you will find straight HF anywhere but a chemical supply company. ---
**Author:** ![virtually\_yours](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/a587f6/32.png) [@virtually\_yours](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/virtually_yours)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2014, 3:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hydrofloric-acid-paste/688018/7 "2014-05-09T03:51:33Z")
thanks folks, here is the link to the vid where I saw it: [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/-6M0Mam1xxw/maxresdefault.jpg "Bathtub Refinishing Tips and Tricks 000195") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-6M0Mam1xxw) ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2014, 3:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hydrofloric-acid-paste/688018/8 "2014-05-09T03:51:47Z")
'll add my vote to avoiding HF for etching – I know a guy, a highly skilled and experienced technician, who got HF on his hand, and they had to excise a lot of tissue to get it all out. There are other glass etching products out there, but several of them use fluoride compounds, and might not be any safer. Try googling “non-acid glass etching” and you’ll see some alternatives. If you decide to go this route, wear gloves and a face mask. And I’d have some calcium gluconate nearby if I was using HF. > **[Hydrofluoric acid](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hydrofluoric_acid)** > > Hydrofluoric acid is a solution of hydrogen fluoride (HF) in water. Solutions of HF are colorless, acidic and highly corrosive. It is used to make most fluorine-containing compounds; examples include the commonly used pharmaceutical antidepressant medication fluoxetine (Prozac) and the material PTFE (Teflon). Elemental fluorine is produced from it. It is commonly used to etch glass and silicon wafers. > The principal use of hydrofluoric acid is in organofluorine chemistry. Many organofluorine co... ---
**Author:** ![virtually\_yours](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/a587f6/32.png) [@virtually\_yours](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/virtually_yours)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2014, 4:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hydrofloric-acid-paste/688018/9 "2014-05-09T04:00:27Z")
I ordered some etching cream to see how it does… The hf does sound a bit overwhelming thanks again all ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2014, 4:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hydrofloric-acid-paste/688018/10 "2014-05-09T04:05:17Z")
Here’s one - Ammonium Bifluoride is the chemical I’d heard of that is used in place of HF > [@](#): > > The mixture is comprised of the hazardous chemicals: Barium Sulfate, Sulfuric Acid, Sodium Bifluoride, and Ammonium Bifluoride. > **[Glass Etching Cream: How to Use It and Where to Get It ♥](https://www.glassetchingsecrets.com/cream.html)** > > Basics of using glass etching cream for craft projects. What you should know about it and where to get it online with brands such as Armour Etch & Bath Etch! Nothing I’ve read about it suggests that it’s as insidiously dangerous as HF, with its delayed-reaction burns and its deadening of the pain response, but I’d still be wary of it. ---
**Author:** ![johnpost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f17d59/32.png) [@johnpost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/johnpost)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2014, 4:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hydrofloric-acid-paste/688018/11 "2014-05-09T04:12:07Z")
yeah anything that can destructively react on glass can harm your body. better living through safe and careful chemistry. read about safety and be thoroughly prepared. ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2014, 4:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hydrofloric-acid-paste/688018/12 "2014-05-09T04:17:36Z")
Anything with fluorine can be nasty. Including medications. Fluoroquinolones (a class of antibiotics) can produce gruesome and irreversible adverse effects. You wouldn’t want to etch your glass with O[sub]2[/sub]F[sub]2[/sub], also called FOOF or dioxygen difluoride. Read all about it [here](http://pipeline.corante.com/archives/2010/02/23/things_i_wont_work_with_dioxygen_difluoride.php). This stuff causes some real excitement. But he talks, more generally, about fluorine compounds in general, suggesting that even seasoned chemists with nerves of steel prefer to stay away – far far away. ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2014, 4:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hydrofloric-acid-paste/688018/13 "2014-05-09T04:21:45Z")
> [@CalMeacham](#): > > Nothing I’ve read about it suggests that it’s as insidiously dangerous as HF, with its delayed-reaction burns and its deadening of the pain response, but I’d still be wary of it. If HF (especially in high concentration) deadens the pain while it transforms your body into soup, it may be just the thing the Oklahoma Correctional system is looking for. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2014, 4:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hydrofloric-acid-paste/688018/14 "2014-05-09T04:33:46Z")
> [@Senegoid](#): > > If HF (especially in high concentration) deadens the pain while it transforms your body into soup, it may be just the thing the Oklahoma Correctional system is looking for. **Moderator Note** Let’s keep political commentary out of GQ. No warning issued, but stick to the topic. Colibri General Questions Moderator ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2014, 4:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hydrofloric-acid-paste/688018/15 "2014-05-09T04:36:26Z")
> [@Senegoid](#): > > If HF (especially in high concentration) deadens the pain while it transforms your body into soup, it may be just the thing the Oklahoma Correctional system is looking for. A truly grisly thought. Nobody suggest it to them – somebody might try it. And it’s a slow enough process to be tragic. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2014, 5:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hydrofloric-acid-paste/688018/16 "2014-05-09T05:09:19Z")
> [@CalMeacham](#): > > A truly grisly thought. Nobody suggest it to them – somebody might try it. And it’s a slow enough process to be tragic. **Moderator Note** Again, let’s stick to the subject of the thread, rather than methods of execution. Colibri General Questions Moderator ---
**Author:** ![AaronX](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/7bcc69/32.png) [@AaronX](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AaronX)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2014, 5:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hydrofloric-acid-paste/688018/17 "2014-05-09T05:21:45Z")
You could use the cream in [http://www.silhouetteamerica.com/shop/materials/glass-etching/item-number/kit-glass](http://www.silhouetteamerica.com/shop/materials/glass-etching/item-number/kit-glass) But why don’t you just do it mechanically if you just want to roughen it? Get some sandpaper. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2014, 5:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hydrofloric-acid-paste/688018/18 "2014-05-09T05:36:53Z")
> [@Colibri](#): > > **Moderator Note** > > Again, let’s stick to the subject of the thread, rather than methods of execution. > > Colibri > General Questions Moderator Your post chiding him wasn’t there when I posted. And I was trying to _dissuade_ him from the idea. ---
**Author:** ![Jeff\_Lichtman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jeff_lichtman/32/1531_2.png) [@Jeff\_Lichtman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jeff_Lichtman)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2014, 8:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hydrofloric-acid-paste/688018/19 "2014-05-09T08:52:01Z")
HF is a poison - it can cause death by cardiac arrest. It’s really best to stay away from the stuff if you can. ---
**Author:** ![virtually\_yours](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/a587f6/32.png) [@virtually\_yours](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/virtually_yours)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2014, 1:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hydrofloric-acid-paste/688018/20 "2014-05-09T13:47:25Z")
> [@Senegoid](#): > > If HF (especially in high concentration) deadens the pain while it transforms your body into soup, it may be just the thing the Oklahoma Correctional system is looking for. LOL [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hydrofloric-acid-paste/688018.md?page=2)