If you’re lucky, reverse engineering can be a messy business. Sure, there’s something to be said for attacking and characterizing an unknown system and leaving no trace of having been there, but there ...

Fuming nitric acid is one of the most aggressive acids used in laboratory chemistry. The process of producing it requires careful distillation and strict control of temperature and materials. As ...

If there’s a chemical with a cooler name than “fuming nitric acid,” we can’t think of it. Nearly pure nitric acid is useful stuff, especially if you’re in the business of making rocket fuels and ...