Sulphuric acid H2SO4

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Sulphuric acid H2SO4

• Jitka Krouská
• Eva Cechová
• FCH VUT 2005

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History

• 9th century Islamic physician and alchemist
  Ibn Zakariya al-Razi - heated green vitriol
  FeSO4 . 7H2O and blue vitriol CuSO4 .
  5H2O ? dilute solution of sulfuric acid
• 13th century German alchemist Albert Magnus
• 17th century German-Dutch chemist Johann
  Glauber burned sulphur with
  saltpeter (potassium nitrate - KNO3)
• 18th century Joseph Gay-Lussac, John Glover
  lead chamber process
• 19th century Peregrine Phillips contact process

dilute - zredený, saltpeter ledek, lead chamber
Pb komora
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Physical and chemical properties
molar mass 98,08 g/mol, dibasic acid
appearance clear, colourless, corrosive, odorless oil, not flammable
density 1,84 g/cm3 at 20C
boiling point 337C
melting point 10C
pKa 1,99
special form oleum (when high conc. of SO3 is added)
viscosity 26,7 cP at 20C
solubility in water fully miscible (exotermic process)
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Manufacture of H2SO4

• two basic methods
• lead chamber process
• contact process

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Lead chamber process

• hot sulphur dioxide SO2 gas enters the reactor
  called a Glover tower ? mixes with nitric oxide,
  NO, and nitrogen dioxide, NO2, dissolves in it
• some of the sulphur dioxide forms the acid
  (Glover acid - about 78 H2SO4)
• mixture of gases (including sulphur dioxide and
  trioxide, nitrogen oxides, nitrogen, oxygen, and
  steam) ? lead-lined chamber, reaction with water
• sulphuric acid is formed by a complex series of
  reactions
• condensation on the walls of the chamber
• (3 - 12 chambers in a series)
• ? chamber acid (contains 62 to 68 H2SO4)

Glover tower called after John Glover
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Contact process
- based on the catalytic oxidation of SO2 1.
Solid sulfur, S(s), is burned in the air to form
SO2 S(s) O2(g) -----gt SO2(g) 2. In the
presence of a vanadium catalyst (vanadium (V)
oxide) production of SO3(g) 2SO2(g) O2(g)
-----gt 2SO3(g) 3. SO3(g) is dissolved in 98
(18M) H2SO4, to produce disulfuric acid or
pyrosulfuric acid, also known oleum,
H2S2O7 SO3(g) H2SO4 ------gt H2S2O7SO3(g)
H2O(l) -----gt H2SO4(l) (slow) 4. water is added
to H2S2O7 to form H2SO4 H2S2O7(l) H2O(l) -----gt
2H2SO4(l)
vanadium (V) oxide V2O5
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The sulphuric acid industry

• fertilisers, acid rain
• chemicals like laboratory reagent
• dyes and pigments
• catalyst
• iron and steel industry
• rayon and film
• industrial explosive
• pulp and paper industry, metal i., car i.
• electrochemistry (electrolyte) lead accumulator
• raw material for manufacture of H3PO4, ...

fertiliser hnojivo, rayon umelé hedvábí, raw
material- surovina
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Health hazard

• pulmonary edema
• burning sensation
• coughing
• wheezing
• shortness of breath
• headache, nausea
• vomiting
• R/S statements
• R 35
• S 26, 30, 45

• pulmonary edema plicní embolie, burning
  sensation pocit rozehrátí,
• wheezing dýchavicnost, nausea mdlo, vomiting
  - zvracení

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Sources

• http//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sulphuric_acid
• http//www.akerkvaerner.com/Internet/IndustriesAnd
  Services/Metals/AcidPlants/SulphuricAcidConcentrat
  ion.htm
• http//www.na-ag.com/NA_en/rohstoffe/roh_schwefel
• http//www.uyseg.org/greener_industry/pages/sulphu
  ric_acid/2SulphuricAcidUses.htm
• http//www.pollutionengineering.com/CDA/ArticleInf
  ormation/products/BNPProductItem/0,6654,150482,00.
  html
• http//www.noram-eng.com/technologies/sulphuric.ht
  ml
• http//www.schoolscience.co.uk/content/5/chemistry
  /catalysis/catsch3pg4.html
• http//www.ausetute.com.au/sulfacid.html
• http//www.ratson.com/chemicals/sulfuric.htm

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Thank you for your attention!