Sulphuric Acid

The Manufacture of Sulphuric

Acid: The Contact Process
Most sulphuric acid is made from the Contact Process. The raw
materials for this process are:
Sulphur (from sulphur deposits beneath the ground, from
sulphide ores or from hydrogen sulphide from petroleum or
natural gas)
Air (from the atmosphere)
Water

The contact process

The process can be divided into three main stages:
1. Production of sulphur dioxide.
2. Oxidation of sulphur dioxide to sulphur trioxide
3. Hyrdating the sulphur trioxide to sulphuric acid.

The contact process

Stage 1: Production of sulphur dioxide
-Burning sulphur in an excess of air:
S(s) + O(2)(g) SO2(g)
- Heating sulphide ores like pyrite in an excess of air
4FeS2(s) + 11O2(g) 2Fe2O3(s) + 8SO2(g)
-Decomposing calcium sulphate in the presence of coke:
2CaSO4(s) + C(s) 2CaO(s) + CO2(g) + 2SO2(g)

The contact process

Stage 2: Oxidation of sulphur dioxide to sulphur trioxide
- Sulphur dioxide is mixed with excess air and passed through an
electrostatic precipitator which removes dust and impurities. The
purified sulphur dioxide combines with oxygen in the presence of a
catalyst, vanadium (V) oxide, to form sulphur trioxide, the
anhydride of sulphuric acid.
Sulphur dioxide + Oxygen = Sulphur trioxide
2 SO2(g) + O2(g) 2 SO3(g)

: H = 197 kJ mol1

The contact process

Stage 2: Oxidation of sulphur dioxide to sulphur trioxide
This is a reversible reaction which means the reactants and products reach
a state of dynamic equilibrium.
Since the reaction is exothermic and results in a decrease in volume i.e.
three moles of reactants from two moles of products, then according to Le
Chateliers Principle, low temperature and high pressure would shift the
position of equilibrium to the right and increase the yield of sulphur trioxide.
Thus the forward reaction will be favoured by low temperature and high
pressure. However, at low temperatures, the reaction rate would be too
slow to be economical and at high pressures the sulphur dioxide liquefies.
This is where the concept of kinetics comes in. Remember
that kinetics is the study of rates of chemical processes.

The contact process

Stage 2: Oxidation of sulphur dioxide to sulphur trioxide
According to Le Chateliers Principle, the forward reaction is favoured by
increasing the concentration of oxygen in the mixture.
This is a very cheap way of increasing the conversion of sulphur dioxide to
sulphur trioxide since the oxygen comes from air.
A 1:1 mixture turns out to give the best possible overall yield of sulphur
trioxide.
2 SO2(g) + O2(g) 2 SO3(g)

The contact process

Stage 3: Hydrating the sulphur trioxide to sulphuric acid.

In industry, a gas is usually dissolved in water using a counter

flow system in which water is sprayed downwards over the gas
which is flowing upwards. This method cannot be used in the
case of sulphur trioxide.
This is because the reaction is highly exothermic and creates
uncontrollable clouds of sulphuric acid which are difficult to
condense.

The contact process

Stage 3: Hydrating the sulphur trioxide to sulphuric acid.
The sulphur trioxide is first dissolved in concentrated sulphuric acid to form
oleum.
H2SO4(l) + SO3(g) H2S2O7 (l)
This can then be diluted with water to produce concentrated sulphuric acid:
H2S2O7 (l) + H2O(l) 2H2SO4(l)

The contact process

Industry & Sulphur compounds

Industrial Uses

A substantial amount of sulfur that is produced is converted to sulfuric acid. Sulfuric acid has many
industrial applications. One of the major industrial uses involves the manufacture of fertilizers such as
ammonium sulfate and phosphates.
Sulfuric acid is also used in the manufacture of adhesives, cellophane, animal feed, cement, explosives,
glass, fumigants, matches, and inorganic chemicals.

It is also used in the manufacture of steel and vulcanization of natural rubber. It also finds utility in sugar
refining, petroleum refining, and manufacture of salt blocks.
Sulfur powder is used for waste water processing, mineral extraction, manufacture of agrochemicals,
fungicides, and dyes.
Sulfites.
SO2 in water produces sulphurous acid and sulfites, which are antioxidants that inhibit growth of aerobic
bacteria. It is used to bleach paper and also used as preservatives for dried fruits

USES
as the electrolyte in lead/acid car batteries
as a catalyst in various chemical processes
to make detergents. Many of these are sulphonates.

to make dyes and paints

to make corrosion-resistant concrete

USES
To make phosphoric acid. Sulphuric acid is added to calcium
fluorophosphate rocks to produce the phosphoric acid.

Phosphoric acid is used to make phosphate fertilisers.

to make ammonium sulphate(fertiliser).
as a cleaning agent for metal surfaces

Impact of the Sulphuric acid industry

Spent catalyst from the Contact Process can be either

disposed in a suitably licensed landfill site or its
vanadium content can be recovered and recycled.

Sulphuric acid production is a net producer of energy.

Heat involved in the process is used to turn water into
steam which is used to generate electricity. No carbon
dioxide is formed as fossil fuel is not used.

Impact of the Sulphuric acid industry

In the advanced contact process of modern times

little to no sulphur dioxide is released into the
atmosphere since the air inputted into the process is
recycled continuously to extract the SO2 for the
Sulphuric acid.

During production there is always a risk of accidental

leaks. Precautions must be taken to reduce these
risks.

Impact of the Sulphuric acid industry

Sulphur dioxide in the atmosphere is converted to acid

rain.

Large amounts of sulphuric acid are used as catalysts in the

chemical industry and needs to be replaced with fresh
concentrated acid when diluted or contaminated.

The spent sulphuric acid from the chemical industry is

regenerated and recycled.

Thermal decomposition of spent sulphuric acid gives

sulphur dioxide which is regenerated into clean sulphuric
acid which can be reused in any process