Hydrofluoric acid

Hydrofluoric Acid is an extremely corrosive material used in many scientific glass shops to etch impurities from glass, or remove excess material to meet specific design tolerances. One of the more common uses is removing contamination on the cut ends of glass from wet saw blades prior to construction of an apparatus. It is also extremely useful in removing "haze" from quartz once finished with the flame working process.

HF is extremely dangerous and should be handled with the utmost care. Proper storage and handling equipment must be used along with strict adherence to safety protocols. The use of HF is not recommended by those that do not have a thorough understanding of the dangers involved, and an understanding of the proper use, storage, and disposal of this chemical. An HF specific first aid kit and eyewash station should be available.

Here is a link to the MSDS [1] (material safety data sheet) for hydrofluoric acid.