9.

1 SULPHURIC ACID
Uses of sulphuric acid H2SO4
1. Sulphuric acid is uses to manufacture almost all
products.Examples:
a) Fertilisers
b) Paint pigments
c) Detergents
d) Synthetic fibres
e) Electrolyte in car batteries
f) Cleaning metals
g) Plastics
h) Other chemical

b) To manufacture paint pigments

The white pigment in paint is usually barium sulphate,
BaSO4. The neutralization ofsulphuric acid and barium
hydroxide produces barium sulphate.

c) To manufacture detergents
Sulphuric acid reacts with hydrocarbon to produce
sulphonic acid. Sulphonic acid is then
neutralized with sodium hydroxide to produce detergents.
Examples of hydrocarbon.

d) To manufacture synthetic fibres

Synthetic fibres are polymers ( long chain molecules).
Rayon is an example of a syntheticfibre that is produced
from the action of sulphuric acid on cellulose.
8)The uses of sulphuric acid in school laboratories are:

a.As a strong acid

b.As a drying or dehydrating agent
c.As an oxidizing agent
d.As a sulphonating agent
e.As a catalyst

Remove
metal oxides
from metal
surfaces
before
Electric insulator
Resistant to chemicals
Easy to clean
Can withstand compression
3. Types and uses of glasses Types of glassComposition
Special properties Uses Fused glass -Silicon dioxide -High
transparency -High melting point Glass rods,
quartz lenses
and mirrors
Soda-lime glass-Silicon dioxide
-Sodium oxide
-Calcium oxide
-Low melting
point
-Easily moulded
-High thermal
expansion Window glass,
bottles and light
bulbs
Borosilicate glass -Silicon dioxide
-Sodium oxide
-Calcium oxide
-Boron oxide
-High melting point -Low thermal expansion
-Resistant to heat
-Resistant to
chemical attack Cooking wares and laboratory glass wires
Lead crystal glass -Silicon dioxide
-Sodium oxide
-Lead(II) oxide
-High density -High refractive index Prism, high
reflective lenses
and decorative
glasswares
CERAMICS 1. Ceramics are made from clay, for example
kaolin, a hydrated aluminium silicate, Al2O3.2SiO2.2H2O.
When the clay is heated to a very high temperature, they
undergo a series of chemical reactions and arehardened
permanently to form ceramics. 2. Ceramics have the
following properties : Strong

Hard but brittle

Electrical insulator
Resistant to heat
Resistant to chemicals
Able to withstand compression
3. Uses of ceramics : a.Construction materials- bricks, tiles,
cements b.Ornamental articles -plates, bowls, cups, vase
and porcelain -toilet, sink, floor and wall tiles c.Electrical
insulators - electric irons, ovens, toasters, fuses and spark
Plugs d. Semiconductors- microchips e.Medical field-
artificial limbs, bones and teeth COMPOSITE MATERIALS
1. Composite materials are structural materials that are
formed by combining two or more different substances such
as metal, alloys, glass, ceramics and polymers. 2. Examples
of composite materials are reinforced concrete, specific
super- conductor, fibre optic, fibre glass and photochromic
glass.

3. Composite materials have properties that ares uperior

than those of the original components. 4. Description of
composite materials : Types of
composite
materials
Components Special Properties Example / Uses
Superconducto r Alloys of metal
compounds +
Ceramics of
metal
oxides
Can conduct
electricity
without any
electrical
resistance when
they are cooled
to extremely low
temperature.
Used in bullet
trains and
medical
magnetic-
imaging devices
like MRI
Reinforced concrete Concrete + steel Tough with more
tensile strength
and can be
moulded into any
shape.
Construction of
high-rise
buildings,
bridges and oil
platform
Fibre glass Glass + plastic Has high tensile
strength, can be
easily coloured
and low in
density. Strong
and can be easily
moulded and
shaped.
Household
products like
water storage
tanks,
badminton
rackets, small
boats, skis and
helmets
Photochromic glass Silver Chloride
+ glass /
transparent
polymers
Lenses from
photochromic
glass protect our
eyes from
harmful
ultraviolet rays.
Optical lenses,
car windshields,
information
display panels,
lens in cameras,
optical switches
and light
intensity meters
As electrolyte in car batteries
3. Sulphur dioxide and environmental pollution.
i. Air Pollution
SO2 is released through chimneys of factories and burning
of
petrol in cars. It causes respiratory problems in humans and
reacts with water and oxygen to form acid rain. Acid rain
corrodes buildings and metal structures.
ii. Water Pollution
Acid rain flows into lakes and rivers make them acidic. Fish
and other aquatic organism die.
iii. Soil Pollution
Acid rain destroys trees in forests. The pH value of the soil
will
decrease thus causes salts to leach out of the top soil. Roots
of trees will destroy and plants will die of malnutrition and
diseases.

1. Sulphuric acid is manufactured through the Contact

process that
consists
of three stages.
STAGE 1
In the furnace, molten sulphur is burnt in dry air to produce
sulphur
dioxide, SO2. The gas produced is cooled and purified.
S(l) + O2(g)→ SO2(g)
STAGE 2
In the converter, sulphur dioxide, SO2 and excess oxygen
gas, O2 are
passed over a few plates of vanadium(V) oxide, V2O5
catalyst at 450ºC
to produce sulphur trioxide, SO3.
2SO2(g) + O2(g)
2SO3(g)
About 99.5% of the sulphur dioxide, SO2 is converted into
sulphur
trioxide, SO3 through this reversible action.
STAGE 3
In the absorber, the sulphur trioxide, SO3 is first reacted with
concentrated sulphuric acid, H2SO4 to form a product called
oleum,
H2S2O7.
SO3(g) + H2SO4(l)→ H2S2O7(l)
The oleum, H2S2O7 is then diluted with water to produce
concentrated
sulphuric acid, H2SO4 in large quantities.
H2S2O7(l) + H2O(l)→ 2H2SO4 (l)
The two reactions in the third stage are equivalent to adding
sulphur
trioxide, SO3 directly to water.
SO3(g) + H2SO4(l)
2. Uses of sulphuric acid
Manufacture of detergents
Production of fertilizer
Manufacture of artificial fibres
Manufacture of paint
Leather tanning