| Chemical name | Chemical formula | Common name | Where to buy | Specific brand or product |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Acetic acid | ||||
| CH3COOH + H2O | 5% Solution: White vinegar | Supermarket | Any brand of white vinegar | |
| Notes: In supermarkets, acetic acid is available in concentrations up to 31%. | ||||
| Acetone | ||||
| CH3COCH3 | Nail polish remover Paint remover |
Discount store | Onyx, Cutex | |
| Notes: While composition varies from product to product, paint removers will contain more acetone per volume than regular nail polish remover, and industrial grade (rather than consumer grade) paint removers used by professionals and sold in bulk will contain more acetone still. Some stores sell pure acetone as well.[1] | ||||
| Ammonium carbonate | ||||
| (NH4)2CO3 | Bakers ammonia | drugstores | None | |
| Notes: Baker's ammonia can be found in drugstores. | ||||
| Ammonium hydroxide | ||||
| NH4OH | 10% Solution: Household ammonia 27% Solution: Strong ammonia |
Supermarket (for household ammonia) Drug store (for strong ammonia) |
None | |
| Notes: Combine household ammonia and strong ammonia with water. | ||||
| Boric acid | ||||
| H3BO3 | Boric acid | Drug store | None | |
| Notes: Often sold as a roach killer | ||||
| Calcium carbonate | ||||
| CaCO3 | Chunks: Marble, limestone Powder: Precipitated chalk |
Builder's supplies (for chunk) Drug store (for powder) |
None | |
| Notes: | ||||
| Calcium chloride | ||||
| CaCl2 | Laundry aid Laundry salt Road salt |
Supermarket Hardware store |
None | |
| Notes: Many chemicals are used to melt snow. Make certain that if you purchase road salt it is pure calcium chloride. | ||||
| Calcium hydroxide | ||||
| Ca(OH)2 | Slaked lime, garden lime | Gardening Department | None | |
| Notes: Used to reduce the acidity of soil. | ||||
| Calcium oxide | ||||
| CaO | Quicklime | Builder's supplies | None | |
| Notes: | ||||
| Calcium sulfate | ||||
| (CaSO4) * H2O CaSO4 * 2H2O |
Plaster of Paris or Gypsum |
Hardware store | None | |
| Notes: | ||||
| Copper(II) sulfate | ||||
| CuSO4 | Blue Vitrol Cupric Sulfate |
Hardware Store | Zep Root Kill, Rooto Root Kill | |
| Notes: Sold at Home Depot as Zep Root Kill or at Ace Hardware as Rooto Root Kill. Reacting the Copper II Sulfate dissolved in water with Sodium Bicarbonate (Baking Soda) will produce Copper Carbonate and CO2. | ||||
| Glucose | ||||
| C6H12O6 + H2O | Corn syrup | Supermarket | None | |
| Notes: Glucose is a monosaccharide that, as a sweetener, is commonly found as a syrup. It is generally produced from corn starch. | ||||
| Hydrochloric acid | ||||
| HCl + H2O | 25% Solution: Muriatic acid | Hardware store | The Works | |
| Notes: Commonly used to bleach concrete. Found in high concentrations in silverware cleaning solutions. It is also less frequently found in high concentrations in drain cleaners such as the works, however, drain cleaners also contain detergents which can introduce destabilizing impurities to chemical compounds. | ||||
| Hydrofluoric acid | ||||
| HF + H2O | Automotive store | Aluminum brightener & tire cleaner | ||
| Notes: Best known for its ability to dissolve glass. Found in high concentrations in commercial tire cleaning solutions. Professional grade tire cleaning solutions, such as those bought in bulk by car dealerships, are typically more concentrated than consumer grade products. Must be stored in polyethylene or Teflon containers, and is very hazardous. | ||||
| Magnesium sulfate | ||||
| MgSO4 *7H2O | Epsom salts | Drug store | None | |
| Notes: | ||||
| Manganese dioxide | ||||
| MnO2 | Pyrolusite | Hardware stores | None | |
| Notes: Pyrolusite can be extracted from certain types of batteries, called dry cells, but its use is becoming rare. | ||||
| Naphthalene | ||||
| C10H8 | Mothballs | Hardware store | None | |
| Notes: Mothballs may also be made of (para)dichlorobenzene. | ||||
| Oxalic acid | ||||
| H2C2O4 + 2H2O | Non-chlorine bleach powder cleanser | Grocery, hardware, and large discount stores | Bar Keepers Friend | |
| Notes: | ||||
| Potassium nitrate | ||||
| KNO3 | Saltpeter, saltpetre | Hardware store, garden center, supermarket | Grants stump remover | |
| Notes: Potassium nitrate is used as stump remover, fertilizer, and meat preservative. | ||||
| Potassium sodium tartrate | ||||
| NaKC4H4O6 * 4H2O | Rochelle salt | Drug store | None | |
| Notes: | ||||
| Sodium bicarbonate | ||||
| NaHCO3 | Baking soda, bicarbonate of soda | Supermarket | Arm & Hammer | |
| Notes: Be careful to use only single action baking soda when sodium bicarbonate is required. Baking soda is pure sodium bicarbonate, but baking powder has other ingredients, such as potassium tartrate and sodium monophosphate. Double action baking powder contains single action baking powder, a 'high temperature acid' which is a gas formed at room temperature when moistened, and corn starch, which is added as a drying agent to prevent accidental activation. | ||||
| Sodium carbonate | ||||
| Na2CO3 | Washing Soda | Supermarket | Arm & Hammer | |
| Notes: | ||||
| Sodium chloride | ||||
| NaCl | Salt, table salt | Supermarket | None | |
| Notes: Canning or pickling salts tend not to have iodine added, so are more pure. | ||||
| Sodium hydroxide | ||||
| NaOH | Lye, caustic soda | Hardware Store | Drano, Rooto Drain Opener(100% Pure) | |
| Notes: Keep out of eyes, can cause blindness. | ||||
| Sodium tetraborate | ||||
| Na2B4O7 * 10H2O | Borax | Drug stores, supermarket | None | |
| Notes: | ||||
| Sucrose | ||||
| C12H22O11 | Table sugar | Supermarket | None | |
| Notes: Sucrose is the name for table sugar, which is made from sugar beets and sugarcane. | ||||
| Sulfuric acid | ||||
| H2SO4 | Sulfuric acid, vitriol | Hardware store | Pro Liquid Drain Cleaner | |
| Notes: This is a very difficult chemical to find in concentrated form at a hardware store. Most chemistry experiments or processes require the use of sulfuric acid in concentrations above 85% for optimum results. Car batteries contain only 40% concentration, and depending on state of charge can contain large amounts of lead sulfate. Battery acid can easily be concentrated due to the much higher boiling point of the acid. | ||||
| Zinc chloride | ||||
| ZnClf + H2O | Tinner's Fluid | Hardware store | None | |
| Notes: Also called "killed acid," zinc chloride can be created by dissolving a small amount of zinc in hydrochloric acid. Used for cleaning copper. | ||||