Sulfuric acid or sulphuric acid, known in antiquity as oil of vitriol, is a mineral acid composed of the elements sulfur, oxygen and hydrogen, with the molecular formula.
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33 Facts About Sulfuric acid
2.
Dilute sulfuric acid is substantially less hazardous without the oxidative and dehydrating properties; however, it should still be handled with care for its acidity.
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3.
Sulfuric acid is a very important commodity chemical, and a nation's sulfuric acid production is a good indicator of its industrial strength.
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4.
Sulfuric acid is a key substance in the chemical industry.
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5.
Sulfuric acid can be obtained by dissolving sulfur trioxide in water.
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6.
Hydration reaction of sulfuric acid is highly exothermic, dilution should be performed by adding the acid to the water rather than the water to the acid, to avoid acid splashing.
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7.
Similarly, mixing starch into concentrated sulfuric acid gives elemental carbon and water that is absorbed by the sulfuric acid, slightly diluting it.
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8.
The effect of this can be seen when concentrated sulfuric acid is spilled on paper, which is composed of cellulose; the cellulose reacts to give a burnt appearance in which the carbon appears much like soot that results from fire.
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9.
Sulfuric acid can be used to displace weaker acids from their salts.
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10.
Protonation using simply fluoroantimonic acid has met with failure, as pure sulfuric acid undergoes self-ionization to give ions:.
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11.
Pure sulfuric acid is not encountered naturally on Earth in anhydrous form, due to its great affinity for water.
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12.
Dilute sulfuric acid is a constituent of acid rain, which is formed by atmospheric oxidation of sulfur dioxide in the presence of water – i e oxidation of sulfurous acid.
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13.
Sulfuric acid is formed naturally by the oxidation of sulfide minerals, such as iron sulfide.
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14.
Sulfuric acid is used as a defense by certain marine species, for example, the phaeophyte alga Desmarestia munda concentrates sulfuric acid in cell vacuoles.
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15.
Sulfuric acid reaches supersaturation in the stratosphere, it can nucleate aerosol particles and provide a surface for aerosol growth via condensation and coagulation with other water-sulfuric acid aerosols.
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16.
Sulfuric acid is produced from sulfur, oxygen and water via the conventional contact process or the wet sulfuric acid process .
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17.
Directly dissolving in water, called the "wet sulfuric acid process", is rarely practiced because the reaction is extremely exothermic, resulting in a hot aerosol of sulfuric acid that requires condensation and separation.
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18.
Early bleaching of linen was done using lactic Sulfuric acid from sour milk but this was a slow process and the use of vitriol sped up the bleaching process.
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19.
Sulfuric acid is a very important commodity chemical, and indeed, a nation's sulfuric acid production is a good indicator of its industrial strength.
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20.
Major use for sulfuric acid is in the "wet method" for the production of phosphoric acid, used for manufacture of phosphate fertilizers.
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21.
Reacting the ammonia produced in the thermal decomposition of coal with waste sulfuric acid allows the ammonia to be crystallized out as a salt and sold into the agro-chemicals industry.
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22.
Sulfuric acid is important in the manufacture of dyestuffs solutions.
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23.
Sulfuric acid is used in large quantities by the iron and steelmaking industry to remove oxidation, rust, and scaling from rolled sheet and billets prior to sale to the automobile and major appliances industry.
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24.
SAR plants are common additions to metal smelting plants, oil refineries, and other industries where sulfuric acid is consumed in bulk, as operating a SAR plant is much cheaper than the recurring costs of spent acid disposal and new acid purchases.
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25.
Hydrogen peroxide can be added to sulfuric acid to produce piranha solution, a powerful but very toxic cleaning solution with which substrate surfaces can be cleaned.
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26.
Sulfuric acid is used for a variety of other purposes in the chemical industry.
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27.
Sulfuric acid is often used as a dehydrating or oxidizing agent in industrial reactions, such as the dehydration of various sugars to form solid carbon.
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28.
Sulfuric acid was called "oil of vitriol" by medieval European alchemists because it was prepared by roasting "green vitriol" in an iron retort.
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29.
Sulfuric acid is capable of causing very severe burns, especially when it is at high concentrations.
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30.
Sulfuric acid must be stored carefully in containers made of nonreactive material .
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31.
Preparation of the diluted Sulfuric acid can be dangerous due to the heat released in the dilution process.
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32.
Main occupational risks posed by this Sulfuric acid are skin contact leading to burns and the inhalation of aerosols.
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33.
International commerce of sulfuric acid is controlled under the United Nations Convention Against Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances, 1988, which lists sulfuric acid under Table II of the convention as a chemical frequently used in the illicit manufacture of narcotic drugs or psychotropic substances.
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