Achievements of the chemical industry of the modern world today allow you to create new substances and materials using a variety of chemical compounds. One example is concentrated sulfuric acid, which is very common in the chemical industry.
Sulfuric acid, having the formula H2SO4, is a liquid without the color of Pancake week consistency, which when it reaches 10.4 ° C turns into a solid crystalline mass. Concentrated sulfuric acid contains 96.4% SO4, and its density is very high and reaches 1.87 g / cm, with the result that 1 liter of undiluted sulfuric acid weighs approximately 2 kg. It is noteworthy that if the acid is dissolved in water, then its temperature rises significantly, since during the reaction a large amount of hydrates is formed in it. This wonderful property is widely used for the release of various substances as a result of the temperature rise not only of water, but also of other liquids.
Concentrated sulfuric acid is also used to dry gases, since it has the ability to absorb vapors of various liquids. The same property explains the carbonization of some organic substances, especially carbohydrates, in contact with this acid. The fact is that carbohydrates contain hydrogen and oxygen in the same ratio as H2SO4, as a result of which, when these substances come in contact, sulfuric acid takes water from carbohydrates, and carbon is released in the form of coal dust.
In the production of garden fertilizers, concentrated sulfuric acid, the chemical properties of which allow it to be used as a good oxidizing agent, is also used to displace other volatile acids from salts. As a result, it is possible to produce fertilizers such as superphosphate, ammonium sulfate and others. Due to its oxidizing properties, it is used to oxidize all metals in the conjugation line up to and including silver, resulting in the formation of two rows of salts - sulfates (middle type) and hydrosulfates (acid type) with the release of ether.
Sulfuric acid is an extremely corrosive liquid that also has dangerous fumes. The maximum permissible concentration of H2SO4 vapor is 1 mg / m3, as a result of which all workers dealing with sulfuric acid are given special clothing and personal protective equipment. Concentrated sulfuric acid, whose properties are extremely dangerous for humans without protection, is used in the following fields of activity:
- industrial organic synthesis;
- production of pharmaceutical preparations;
- refining of petroleum products;
- leather and metal industry;
- manufacture of dyes, plastics, synthetic detergents and so on.
Sulfuric acid is produced in two industrial ways - using solid contacts (catalysts), as well as using nitrogen oxides (nitrous method). Sulfur is most often used as a raw material, but metal sulfides can be used for some types of sulfuric acid. The industry produces concentrated sulfuric acid of the following types: industrial, vitriol, pure (accumulator), oleum (anhydride solution) and tower.
In conclusion, it should be emphasized once again that sulfuric acid belongs to caustic toxic substances of hazard class 2 . If acid vapor enters the respiratory system, burns of the upper respiratory tract are formed, accompanied by a strong cough, which can develop into bronchitis, tracheitis and laryngitis. That is why when working with sulfuric acid, much attention is paid to the high degree of protection of workers from the harmful effects of the liquid and essential components of this substance.