SULPHURIC

ACID
THE INDUSTRIAL PROCESS IN THE
MANUFACTURE OF
SULPHURIC ACID
 SULPHURIC ACID
 Manufactured by the contact process in industry

 Raw materials used: Sulphur, air and water

Notes:
Contact process
 modern industrial method of producing sulfuric acid
 Sulfur dioxide and oxygen, passed over a hot catalyst
 form sulfur trioxide combines with water to make sulfuric acid.

Sulphur 1
Sulphur 2
Sulphur 3
Sulphuric
Dioxide Trioxide Acid
 Sulphur (s) / Metal Sulphide (l)

Sulphur Dioxide, SO₂ (g)

Sulphur Trioxide, SO₃ (l)

Oleum, H₂S₂O₇ (l)

Concentrated Sulphuric Acid, H₂SO₄

 STAGE 1 (PRODUCTION OF SULPHUR DIOXIDE GAS, SO₂)
 Two Methods:

1. Burning Sulphur in dry air in the furnace. S + O₂ → SO₂

2. Burning of Metal Sulphide in dry air. 2ZnS + 3O₂ → 2SO₂ + 2ZnO
 STAGE 2 (SULPHUR DIOXIDE → SULPHUR TRIOXIDE, SO₃)

 Sulphur Dioxide gas is dried and purified. Because

1. To remove water vapour

2. To remove contaminants.
 Pure and dry Sulphur Dioxide + Excess dry oxygen passes through a converter.

 The reaction is equilibrium. 2SO₂ + O₂ ↔ 2SO₃

 To produce more Sulphur Trioxide:

1. Presence of Catalyst (Vanadium oxide, V₂O₅). An Exothermic Process

2. Temperature between 450℃-550℃
3. A Pressure of one atmosphere
 STAGE 3 (PRODUCTION OF SULPHURIC ACID)
Concentrated sulphuric acid
 Sulphur Trioxide Oleum, H₂S₂O₇
SO₃ + H₂SO₄ → H₂S₂O₇
Equal Volume of Water
 Oleum Concentrated Sulphuric Acid

H₂S₂O₇ + H ₂ O → 2H₂SO₄
 Two reactions are equivalent to adding Sulphur Trioxide to water

SO₃ + H ₂ O → H₂SO₄
 Sulphur Trioxide is not dissolved directly in water because

1. Low solubility in water

2. Reacts violently in water, produce mist. Exothermic process.
3. Mist is corrosive, pollutes the air and difficult to condense
 99.5 % of pure Sulphuric Acid is then collected.
 Mist of Sulphuric Acid will released to the air and
cause acid rain.
 There will be acid scrubbers, Na₂CO₃ in the chimny to
neutralize the Sulphuric Acid with salt and water. This
is to reduce the sulphuric acid release.