Is it possible to predict release of acid fumes in certain acid reactions?

Question

Upon mixing both acids, the reaction between Formic Acid and Sulfuric Acid, besides producing Carbon Monoxide and Water, releases a certain amount of acid fumes.

Does anyone know if the fumes, in that specific reaction, are of only one of the acids or both of them?

Also, is there a good way to predict release of acid fumes in similar reactions? Is it a characteristic of certain acids?

Thank you.

It is probably just hot water vapor and some entrained tiny droplets of the acids. It may not always be easy to predict when significant fuming is likely, but it is always possible to predict that using a working fume hood is a great idea. — Ed V, Aug 16 '19 at 01:36
Note that formic acid releases carbon monoxide even spontaneously, what is reason it should not be stored in a gas tight containers. — Poutnik, Aug 16 '19 at 09:12
Partly related: Making carbon monoxide gas from formic acid and sulfuric acid? and Vaporized sodium hydroxide? — , Aug 16 '19 at 10:05

Poutnik · Answer 1 · 2019-08-16T13:04:59.727

2

Formic acid is volatile.

Any volatile liquid, including water, if heated ( externally or spontaneously in mixture ) forms fumes, if temperature in gas above the liquid drops below its dew point.

Remember water "fumes" over a boiling kettle.

Additionally to these physical-chemical reasons, if there is boiling (or other strong mechanical disturbance) instead of plain evaporation, the non volatile sulphuric acid can pass to fumes by mechanical way.

edited Aug 16 '19 at 13:04

answered Aug 16 '19 at 09:24

Poutnik

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Perhaps boiling kettle? :-) – Ed V Aug 16 '19 at 12:05
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@Ed V Sure, kettle. :-D As non native, even if I know both words, I may confuse them as almost homophones. :-) – Poutnik Aug 16 '19 at 13:03

Is it possible to predict release of acid fumes in certain acid reactions?

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