Sulphuric acid

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 SO2
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) oxideV2O5 at
controlled optimum condition optimum condition to produce sulphur trioxide SO3.
Equation:2SO2(g)+O2(g) 2SO3(g)
ii.The optimum used are
a)Temperature:450-500C
b)Pressure: 2-3 atmospheres
c)Catalyst: Vanadium(V) oxideiii.
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 SO2is dissolved in concentrated sulphuric acid H2SO4to form
oleumH2S2O7which is then diluted with water to form sulphuric acid H2SO4.
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 isvary
vigorous; a lot of heat is given off. As a result, alarge cloud of sulphuric acidfumes is
produced, which is corrosive and causes severe air pollution.

Contact process

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, H2SO
3.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, H2SO4, 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)

Acid rain and environmental pollution

Ammonia and its salts

USES OF AMMONIA
1.Ammonia that is produce commercially has many uses.
2.It uses:
i. In the manufacture of chemical fertilizers such as ammonium sulphate, ammonia
nitric, ammonia phosphate and urea.
ii. To manufacture nitric acid and explosive.
iii. In the making of synthetic fibre and nylon.
iv As a degreasing agent in aqueous form to remove greasy stains in the kitchen.

PROPERTIES OF AMMONIA GAS

1.The physical properties of ammonia gas include the following:
i. It colourless and has a pungent odour.
ii. It is vary soluble in water and form a weak alkaline solution.
iii. It less dense then water.
iv. It easily liquified (at about 35.5C) when cool.
2.The chemical properties of ammonia gas:
a)Ammonia gas dissolves in water to form a weak alkali.
NH3(g)+H2O(l)
NH4+(aq) + OH-(aq)
b)The presence of hydroxide icon causes the aqueous solution to become alkaline. Thus aqueous ammonia
solution:
i. Turns red litmus paper blue.
ii. Reacts with acid to form only salt and waterin neutralization reaction.
NH3(aq) + HCI(aq)=NH4CI(aq)
2NH3+H2SO4(aq)=(NH4)2SO4(aq)
iii. Reacts with solution of metallic cations to produce precipitates.
Fe+(aq) + 2OH(aq)=Fe(OH)2(s)

MANUFACTURE OF AMMONIA IN INDUSTRY

1.Ammonia is manufacture on a large scale in industry through the haber process. In this process, ammonia is
formed form direct combination of nitrogen and hydrogen gas inthe volume ratio 1:3.
2.The gas nitrogen obtain form the fractional distillation of liquefied air. The hydrogen gas is obtained form
the cracking of petroleum or from the catalysed reaction of natura lgas, CH4,with steam.
CH4(g)+H2O(g)=CO(g)+3H2(g)
3.The mixture of nitrogen and hydrogen gases is passed over an iron catalyst under controlled optimum
condition as below to form ammonia gas.
i.Temperature: 450-500C
ii.Pressure: 200-500 atmospheres
iii.Catalyst used: Iron fillings
N2(g)+3H2(g)
2NH3(g)
4.Under these control optimum condition, only 15% of the gas mixture turn into ammoniagas. The nitrogen
and hydrogen that have not reacted are then flow back over the catalystagain in the reactor chamber.
5.The ammonia product is then cooled at a low temperature so that it condenses into aliquid in the cooling
chamber.

The Haber
Process

AMMONIUM FERTILIZERS
1.Nitrogen is required in large amount by plant to make proteins which are
necessary for growth and cell repair.
2.Most plant are not able to get a nitrogen supply directly from the air although
it is abundant in the air (78%). Plants can only absorb soluble nitrogen
compounds from soil through their roots.
3.The nitrogen compounds are usually soluble nitric salt, ammonia and
ammonia salt which are manufacture as chemical fertilizer.
4.Reactions of ammonia with acids produce ammonium fertilizers.
NH3(aq)+HNO3(aq)=NH4NO3(aq)Ammonium nitrate
3NH3(aq)+H3PO4(aq)=(NH4)3PO4(aq)Ammonium phosphate
2NH3(aq) +H2SO4(aq)=(NH4)2SO4(aq)

Composite material
WHAT ARE COMPOSITE MATERIALS ?
1.A composite materials (or composite) is a structure of materials that is
formed by two or more different substances such as metal, glass, ceramic and
polymer.
2.Some common composite materials are:
a.Reinforces concrete
b.Superconductor
c.Fibre opticd
d.Fibre glasse
e.Photochromic glass

Example of uses
REINFORCES CONCRETE
1.Concrete is hard, fireproof, waterproof, comparatively cheap and easy to maintain. It is
more important construction materials.
2.The reinforces is a combination of concrete and steel.

SUPERCONDUCTOR
1.Metal such as copper and aluminium are good conductor of electricity, but 20% of the
electric energy is lost in the form of heat during transmission.
2.Super conductor are materials that have no resistance to the flow of electricity at
a particular temperature. Hence, 100% electricity transmission is possible.
3.One of the most dramatic properties of a superconductor is its ability to levitate a magnet.
Superconductor are used to build magnetically levitate high-speed train (at about 552 km/h).
4.Superconductor are used to make chips for smaller and faster super computer. Super
conductor also play an important role in high speed data processing in internet
communication.

FIBRE OPTIC
1.Fibre optic is a composite material that in used to transmit signals for light wave.
2.Fibre optic is used in
a. Telecommunicate where the telephone substation are liked by fibre optic cables.
b. Domestic cable television network
c. Closed circuit television security system.
3.Fibre optic also used in medical fields. It is used in a number of instrument whichenable the
investigation for internal body part without having to perform surgery.
FIBRE GLASS
1.Fibre glass is glass in the form of fine threads. Molten gas is dropped onto a refractory rating disc when
the glass flies off the disc glass to form fibre.
2.Fibre glass is strong than steel, do not burnt, stretch or rot, resistant to fire and water but is brittle.
3.When fibre glass added to a plastic, a new composite material fibre glass reinforces plastic is formed.
4.Fibre glass reinforces plastic has more superior properties than glass and plastic. It is
a. Extremely strong
b. Light weigh
c. Resistant to fire and water
d. Can be molded, shaped and twisted

PHOTOCHROMIC GLASS
1.When 0.01 to 0.1% of silver chloride (a type of photochromic
substances) and a small amount of copper (II) chloride are added to
molten silicon dioxide, photochromic glass is formed.
2.The photochromic glass has a special properties. It darken when
exposed to strong sunlight or ultraviolet.
3.Photochromic glass is suitable for making sunglasses.

Properties of composite materials

Original
component

Composite
materials

Propertiesoriginal
components

Propertiescomposite
materials

concrete

Reinforce concrete

Low tensile strength

Very strong

Yttrium oxide ,barium

carbonate,
copper(II)oxide

superconductor

Non-conductor electric

Very good conductor

Silica, sodium carbonate,

calcium oxide

Fibre optic

Not transparent

transparent

glass

Photochomic glass

Transparent but not

sensitive to the intensity
of light rays

Transparent and sensitive

to the strength of light
rays

Silver chloride

Photochomic glass

Sensitive to the intensity

of the light rays

Transparent and sensitive

to the strength of light
rays