| (Latin: royal water) |
| Aqua regia is a higly corrosive, fuming yellow or red solution. It is a mixture of (usually) 1 part nitric acid (HNO3) to three parts hydrochloric acid (HCl). It is one of the few reagents that can dissolve gold and platinum.
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| Aqua regia is itself very corrosive and has been implicated in several explosions as well due to mishandling and it should
not be used unless gentler cleaning techniques are inadequate.
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| Due to the reaction between its components resulting in its decomposition, aqua regia quickly loses its effectiveness. As
such, its components should only be mixed immediately before use.
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See Also