Weak nitric acid – is a non-combustible, fire dangerous liquid, which causes spontaneous ignition of materials in the contact of various combustible materials.
Chemical formula: HNO3. CAS registry number: 7697-37-2.
Relative molecular mass – 63,0128.
According to GOST 12.1.007 the weak nitric acid refers to the 3rd substance hazard category by toxicity.
The nitric acid is one of the raw substances for production of the majority of nitrogen containing species. The main amount of produced nitric acid (up to 70-80 %) is forwarded for production of mineral fertilizers.
Besides that, the nitric acid is used in the following ways:
- for production of explosive materials;
- for production of nitrates and other industrial salts;
- as a component for organic synthesis processes;
- as an oxidizing agent in the missile industry etc.
The following types of the nitric acid are currently industrially manufactured:
- weak nitric acid (up to 60-62 % HNО3);
- concentrated nitric acid (98-99 % HNО3);
- reactive nitric acid and ultraclean nitric acid.
NIIK offers the following services for the Nitric Acid plants:
modernization of the large-scale plants АК-72 / АК-72М: 
- capacity increase by 4÷8 tons per hour;
- reduction of the natural gas consumption by 30÷45 m3/t;
- complete elimination of non-recoverable Pd (Palladium) losses in APK-2 (for АК-72 units);
- reduction of steam consumption up to 0,1 Gcal/t;
- reduction of the time required for the plant’s start-up procedure up to 4÷5 hours;
- gas-turbine unit life-extension and increase of its under-stream period.
revamp of existing plants UKL-7
- capacity increase by 1,5÷2,5 tons per hour;
- reduction of the natural gas consumption by 20÷30 m3/t;
- reduction of power consumption;
- increase in the steam removal to the plant’s network.
Greenfield development of the plants UKL-7-76М with a capacity of 130 000 tons per year
- HNO3 capacity – 16,5 tons per hour;
- Natural gas consumption – 70÷75,0 m3/t;
- Ammonium consumption – 293,0 kg/t;
- Power consumption – 20 kWh /t;
- Steam removal – 1,2 Gcal/t;
- Cooling water consumption - 130 m3/t.