Sulphuric acid H 2 SO 4 Jitka Krouská Eva Čechová FCH VUT 2005

History  9 th century: Islamic physician and alchemist Ibn Zakariya al-Razi - heated green vitriol FeSO 4. 7H 2 O and blue vitriol CuSO 4. 5H 2 O  dilute solution of sulfuric acid  13 th century: German alchemist Albert Magnus  17 th century: German-Dutch chemist Johann Glauber – burned sulphur with saltpeter (potassium nitrate - KNO 3 )  18 th century: Joseph Gay-Lussac, John Glover – lead chamber process  19 th century: Peregrine Phillips – contact process dilute - zředěný, saltpeter – ledek, lead chamber – Pb komora

Physical and chemical properties molar mass 98,08 g/mol, dibasic acid appearance clear, colourless, corrosive, odorless oil, not flammable density 1,84 g/cm 3 at 20°C boiling point 337°C melting point 10°C pK a 1,99 special form oleum (when high conc. of SO 3 is added) viscosity 26,7 cP at 20°C solubility in water fully miscible (exotermic process)

Manufacture of H 2 SO 4 two basic methods: 1. lead chamber process 2. contact process

Lead chamber process Lead chamber process  hot sulphur dioxide SO 2 gas enters the reactor called a Glover tower  mixes with nitric oxide, NO, and nitrogen dioxide, NO 2, dissolves in it  some of the sulphur dioxide forms the acid (Glover acid - about 78% H 2 SO 4 )  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 ( chambers in a series)  chamber acid (contains 62% to 68% H 2 SO 4 ) Glover tower – called after John Glover

Contact process - based on the catalytic oxidation of SO 2 1. Solid sulfur, S(s), is burned in the air to form SO 2 S(s) + O 2 (g) -----> SO 2 (g) 2. In the presence of a vanadium catalyst (vanadium (V) oxide) – production of SO 3 (g) 2SO 2 (g) + O 2 (g) -----> 2SO 3 (g) 3. SO 3 (g) is dissolved in 98% (18M) H 2 SO 4, to produce disulfuric acid or pyrosulfuric acid, also known oleum, H 2 S 2 O 7 SO 3 (g) + H 2 SO > H 2 S 2 O 7 SO 3 (g) + H 2 O(l) -----> H 2 SO 4 (l) (slow) 4. water is added to H 2 S 2 O 7 to form H 2 SO 4 H 2 S 2 O 7 (l) + H 2 O(l) -----> 2H 2 SO 4 (l) vanadium (V) oxide – V 2 O 5

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 H 3 PO 4,... fertiliser – hnojivo, rayon – umělé hedvábí, raw material- surovina

Health hazard pulmonary edema pulmonary edema burning sensation burning sensation coughing coughing wheezing wheezing shortness of breath shortness of breath headache, nausea headache, nausea vomiting vomiting R/S statements: R/S statements: R: 35 S: 26, 30, 45 pulmonary edema – plicní embolie, burning sensation – pocit rozehřátí, wheezing – dýchavičnost, nausea – mdlo, vomiting - zvracení

Sources ants/SulphuricAcidConcentration.htm ants/SulphuricAcidConcentration.htm dUses.htm dUses.htm ProductItem/0,6654,150482,00.html ProductItem/0,6654,150482,00.html tml tml

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