Nital is a solution of

nitric acid Nitric acid is the inorganic compound with the formula . It is a highly corrosive mineral acid. The compound is colorless, but older samples tend to be yellow cast due to decomposition into oxides of nitrogen. Most commercially available nitri ...

and

alcohol Alcohol most commonly refers to: * Alcohol (chemistry), an organic compound in which a hydroxyl group is bound to a carbon atom * Alcohol (drug), an intoxicant found in alcoholic drinks Alcohol may also refer to: Chemicals * Ethanol, one of sev ...

commonly used for

etching Etching is traditionally the process of using strong acid or mordant to cut into the unprotected parts of a metal surface to create a design in intaglio (incised) in the metal. In modern manufacturing, other chemicals may be used on other types ...

metals A metal (from Greek μέταλλον ''métallon'', "mine, quarry, metal") is a material that, when freshly prepared, polished, or fractured, shows a lustrous appearance, and conducts electricity and heat relatively well. Metals are typicall ...

. It is especially suitable for revealing the

microstructure Microstructure is the very small scale structure of a material, defined as the structure of a prepared surface of material as revealed by an optical microscope above 25× magnification. The microstructure of a material (such as metals, polymers ...

carbon steel Carbon steel is a steel with carbon content from about 0.05 up to 2.1 percent by weight. The definition of carbon steel from the American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI) states: * no minimum content is specified or required for chromium, cobalt ...

s. The alcohol can be

methanol Methanol (also called methyl alcohol and wood spirit, amongst other names) is an organic chemical and the simplest aliphatic alcohol, with the formula C H3 O H (a methyl group linked to a hydroxyl group, often abbreviated as MeOH). It is a ...

ethanol Ethanol (abbr. EtOH; also called ethyl alcohol, grain alcohol, drinking alcohol, or simply alcohol) is an organic compound. It is an Alcohol (chemistry), alcohol with the chemical formula . Its formula can be also written as or (an ethyl ...

methylated spirit Denatured alcohol (also called methylated spirits in Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, South Africa, and the United Kingdom; wood spirit; and denatured rectified spirit) is ethanol that has additives to make it poisonous, bad-tasting, foul ...

s. Mixtures of ethanol and nitric acid are potentially explosive. This commonly occurs by gas evolution, although

ethyl nitrate Ethyl nitrate is the ethyl ester of nitric acid and has the chemical formula . It is a colourless, volatile, explosive, and highly flammable liquid. It is used in organic synthesis and as an intermediate in the preparation of some drugs, dyes, a ...

can also be formed. Methanol is not liable to explosion but it is toxic. A solution of ethanol and nitric acid will become explosive if the concentration of nitric acid reaches over 10% (by weight). Solutions above 5% should not be stored in closed containers. Nitric acid will continue to act as an oxidant in dilute and cold conditions.

In popular culture

Nital is a critical plot element in the Japanese manga series ''

Dr. Stone ''Dr. Stone'' (stylized as ''Dr.STONE'') is a Japanese manga series written by Riichiro Inagaki and illustrated by the South Korean artist Boichi. It was serialized in Shueisha's ''Weekly Shōnen Jump'' from March 2017 to March 2022, with ...

'', whose story resolves around the mysterious

petrification In geology, petrifaction or petrification () is the process by which organic material becomes a fossil through the replacement of the original material and the filling of the original pore spaces with minerals. Petrified wood typifies this proce ...

of all mankind. Made from nitric acid that they produce from Bat Guano found in a cave and highly distilled alcohol with a ratio of 3:7, nital is dubbed the revival fluid with the unique property of undoing and freeing the petrified people.10 Reasons Why Dr. Stone Is A Must-Watch Anime
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References

{{Chemistry-stub Etching Solutions