(H2SO4)

DEFINITION OF SULPHURIC ACID

-A highly corrosive, dense, oily liquid, colourless to dark brown depending on its puritiy and
used to manufacture a wide variety of chemicals and materials including fertilizers, paints
detergents, explosive. Also called oil of vitriol, vitriol.

 USES OF SULPHURIC ACID

1. Sulphuric acid is used to produce chemical fertilizer such as ammonium sulphate and
potassium sulphate, which are highly soluble in water and can be easily obsorbed by plant.
2. Car batteries contain sulphuric acid which is used as the electrolyte.
3. Sulphuric acid also used in the making of artificial silk-like fibres and rayon.
4. Chemical like paints, dyes and drug use sulphuric acid as one of their
component materials.
 MANUFACTURE OF SULPHURIC ACID

1. Sulphuric acid is manufactured in industry though

contact process
2. The process contain three stage

STAGE1: Production Of Sulphur Dioxide From Sulphur

i. Combustion of sulphur or sulphide ores in the air produce sulphur dioxide SO 2.

S(s)+O2(g)SO2(g)

sulphur

ii. sulphur dioxide is dried and purified.

STAGE2: Production Of Sulphur Trioxide From Sulphur Dioxide

 i. The purified sulphur dioxide SO2 and excess air are passed over vanadium(V) oxide V 2O5 at
controlled optimum condition optimum condition to produce sulphur trioxide SO 3.
2SO2(g)+O2(g) 2SO3(g)

ii.The optimum used are

a)
Temperature:450-500°C
b)
Pressure: 2-3 atmospheres
c)
Catalyst: Vanadium(V) oxide
iii.Under controlled optimum conditions, 98% conversion is possible. Sulphur dioxide and oxygen
that have not reacted are allowed to flow back again over the catalyst in the converter.
STAGE3: Conversion of trioxide to sulphuric acid

i. Sulphur trioxide SO2 is dissolved in concentrated sulphuric acid H 2SO4 to form oleum H2S2O7 which is
then diluted with water to form sulphuric acid H 2SO4.

SO3(g)+H2SO4(l)H2S2O7(l)

Oleum

H2S2O7(l)+ H2O(l)2H2SO4(aq)

ii. The two reactions in stage3 are equivalent to adding sulphur trioxide directly into water.

SO3(g)+H2O(l)H2SO4(aq)

iii. The addition of sulphur trioxide directly into is not carried out because the reaction is vary vigorous;
a lot of heat is given off. As a result, alarge cloud of sulphuric acid fumes is produced, which is
corrosive and causes severe air pollution.
 The Contact Process

Sulphur Oxygen

In the converter

S(s) + O2(g)SO2(g) 2SO(g) + O2(g) 2SO3(g)

Temperature: 450-500°C
Oxyge
Pressure: 2-3 atmospheres
Unreacted

2%so2 is
SO2(g) + H2SO4(aq)H2S2O7(l) flowed back
H2S2O7(l) + H2O(l)2H2SO4(aq)

Outline Of Contact process

 SULPHUR DIOXIDE AND ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION

1. Sulphur dioxide is one of the by-product of contact process. It is a colourless and poisonous gas with
a vary pungent smell.
2. Sulphur dioxide which escape into the air causes air pollution.
3. Sulphur dioxide is an acidic which dissolves in water to form sulphurous acidic, H 2SO3. In the
atmosphere, sulphur dioxide dissolve in water droplets to form sulphurous acidic.

SO2(g) + H2O(l)  H2SO3(aq)

4. Oxidation of sulphur acid by oxygen produce sulphuric acid, H 2SO4, which falls to the earth as acid
rain. Sulphur trioxide is also easily oxidised in the air to form sulphur trioxide. Sulphur trioxide
dissolve in rainwater to produce sulphuric acid.

SO3(g) + H2O(l)  H2SO4(aq)

DISCUSSION

Manufacture of sulphuric acid

a. Sulphuric acid is manufactured by contact process.

- Contact process contain 3 stages.

[Sulphur Sulphur Dioxide]

This can be done by 2 methods:

1. Burning of sulphur in dry air in the furnace.

S (s) + O2 (g) SO2(g)
2. Burning of metal sulphide such as zinc sulphide or iron (III) sulphide in dry air.
2ZnS (s) + 3O2 (g) SO2(g) + 2ZnO

[ Sulphur Dioxide Sulphur trioxide]

1. Pure and dried mixture of sulphur dioxide and oxygen is passed through a converter.
2. The optimum conditions used in the converter as follow
a. Average temperature is 450⁰C
b. Pressure : 1 atmostphere
c. Catalyst: vanadium (V) oxide , V2O5
3. A high yeld of 95% of sulphuric trioxide is produced
2SO4 (g) + O2 (g)↔2SO3 (g)

[ Sulphur trioxide → sulphuric acid ]

1. The sulphur trioxide is dissolved in concentrated sulphuric acid to produce oleum,
H2S2O7 in the absorber.
SO3 (g) + H2S04 (aq)→H2S2O7 (l)

2. The Oleum is then diluted with water to produce concentrated sulphuric acid of about
98% in the diluter.

H2S2O7 (l) + H2O (l) → 2H2S04

CONCLUSION

- Sulphuric acid is used to manufacture many products. Sulphuric acid manufactured by

contact process called contact process which contains 3 stages. The first stage is production
of sulphur dioxide and the second stage is conversion of sulphur dioxide to sulphur trioxide
and the last stage is production of sulphuric acid. Therefore, to manufacture sulphuric acid
it must go through those stages.