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Sulfuric acid is a mineral acid used in industrial synthesis of chemicals, petroleum refining, ore processing, wastewater treatment, and batteries. It is composed of hydrogen, sulfur, and oxygen and is extremely corrosive. Sulfuric acid is used to produce phosphoric acid, fertilizers, and detergents. It is also used to remove impurities from substances and to clean rust and oxidize steel. Lead-acid batteries use sulfuric acid as an electrolyte. Sulfuric acid must be handled with care as it can cause severe burns.
There are many different uses of sulfuric acid, most of which are industrial in nature. This substance is a vital component in the industrial synthesis of many chemicals, although more than half of the world’s production is used to make phosphoric acid each year. Sulfuric acid is also an important contributor to petroleum refining, ore processing, and wastewater treatment. Many different artifacts also depend on sulfuric acid, cleaning rust and oxidizing steel to making chemicals, dyes and other substances. One of the other important uses of sulfuric acid is as an electrolyte in some batteries.
Sulfuric acid is a type of mineral acid that has historically been referred to as oil of vitriol. It is chemically composed of two molecules of hydrogen, one of sulfur and four of oxygen, and is extremely corrosive and colorless. There are numerous grades of sulfuric acid, ranging from 10% to 98% purity. Many of the middle and lower grades are prepared by mixing concentrated sulfuric acid with adequate amounts of water. These grades have historically been produced using a lead chamber process, which fell out of favor when the contact manufacturing method was developed.
Approximately 60% of all sulfuric acid produced worldwide each year is used as an ingredient in the production of phosphoric acid. The most common method of producing phosphoric acid involves introducing sulfuric acid into the phosphoric rock. In addition to phosphoric acid, other products such as calcium sulfate and hydrofluoric acid are also produced through this process. Since phosphoric acid is an important component in fertilizers and detergents, sulfuric acid is required for the production of these products.
Some of the other uses of sulfuric acid are to treat or remove impurities from various substances. This is often the case in wastewater treatment, where sulfuric acid is often introduced to neutralize the pH or break down emulsions. Sulfuric acid is also sometimes used in drinking water treatment plants to remove impurities and create a better taste. In oil refineries it is often used as a catalyst in the creation of isooctane. The steel industry also uses it to remove oxidation and rust, both before delivering billets to industrial producers and before galvanizing.
One of the uses of sulfuric acid that many people encounter every day is in batteries. Traditional lead-acid batteries found in most automobiles use lead and lead oxide as the anodes and cathodes and sulfuric acid as the electrolyte. These batteries have poor energy-to-weight ratios, but can deliver the high peak currents needed to operate starter motors. They are also relatively cheap to manufacture compared to other battery technologies. It should be noted that sulfuric acid must be handled with care and must never come into contact with human skin, as it can cause severe burns.
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