Show uses of Sulp sulphuric huri e c acl acid d BY E A WELLS when the united states entered the world war the heavy requirements for sulphuric acid in the manufacture of explosives made necessary a definite knowledge of the sulphuric acid capacity of the country the bureau of mines under the authority conferred by the explosives regulation act made a thorough survey of the sulphuric acid situation in tins thi s work which was personally directed by the writer comprehensive data were collected on the situation and capacities of the various acid plants sources of supply of raw materials brimstone pyrite zinc ores and concentrates waste sulphur dioxide gases from copper smelting smelling sm elting and spent oxide from gas works the principal points in regard to manufacturing processes chamber and contact and the uses of the acid the results of this investigation have recently been published by the bureau of mines as bulletin entitled the manufacture of sulphuric acid in the united states by A E wells and D I 1 E fogg the following paragraphs on the uses of sulphuric acid are abstracted from this bulletin sulphuric acid is one of the most important of all chemicals not only because of the large quantities manufactured but also because of the wide use of the acid in many different industrial works sulphuric acid is to the chemical industry what iron is to metallurgy the general public however does not realize this fact for sulphuric acid does not appear in the finished product as does iron and steel but is only a means to an end it is essential in many industries such tor for example as in the manufacture of phosphate fertilizers explosives dyes and petroleum products in recent years in the united states especially in the east the demand for sulphuric acid for chemical and metallurgical industries has been an accurate and sensitive barometer of the general business conditions dit ions this demand for acid responds much more quickly to a general slump or boom in the industrial world than does the demand for iron and steel important uses of sulphuric acid dilute acid that is 60 degrees B 78 per cent acid or weaker is used in ill the manufacture of super phosphates ammonium sulphate and sulphates of metals magnesium aluminum iron zinc copper in ill precipitating barium and calcium sulphate for chemical purposes in the manufacture of various mineral and organic acids in pickling sheet iron for tinning and galvanizing in the production of copper zinc silver nickel and gold for various types of galvanic batteries storage batteries electroplating in the rn manufacture nu facture of ether in metallurgist bureau of mines annes making and purifying many organic coloring matters in making starch and sugar and in numerous other chemical and metallurgical operations during the summer of 1918 a census of the distribution of sulphuric acid to the different industries showed that the monthly requirements were about tons of per cent acid of this amount the manufacture of military and domestic explosives consumed per cent fertilizers per cent oil refineries 88 per cent chemicals drugs and ammonium sulphate 99 per cent steel pickling and galvanizing van izing 93 per cent fabrics textiles etc 13 per cent paints glue etc 14 per cent metallurgical including storage batteries 39 per cent and miscellaneous uses 10 per cent eliminating the acid used for munitions and explosives and allowing about tons a month for domestic explosives the indicated requirement for normal peace industries dus tries is possibly tons a month basis per cent or about tons per year basis 50 degrees B prior to the war the consumption of acid for phosphate fertilizer was about tons basis 50 degrees B up to june 1919 the consumption of acid for phosphate fertilizers was more than tons and the consumption will doubtless increase year by year not only is the use of phosphate fertilizer increasing in the south but is beginning to be an important factor west of the mississippi sis sippi river the gradual increase in consumption of phosphate fertilizers in the middle west and western states will bring into existence acid and phosphate fertilizer plants in connection with the smelters shelters sm elters in montana and utah where much waste gas is available approximately one ton of acid 50 degrees B basis is required to treat one ton of phosphate rock to produce the ordinary its function in petroleum refining the acid used for refining petroleum is practically all 66 degrees B acid weaker acid is not satisfactory as it will not enter into the reactions involved in decolorizing izing and deodorizing deodor izing of the oils by removal of the unsaturated hydrocarbons in a few instances where weaker a acid C id might possibly be used so much more of it would be required to obtain the results obtainable with the 66 degree acid that its use is not economical in petroleum refining fuming sulphuric acid is used exceptionally its principal and practically only use is by certain eastern oil refineries in the preparation of colorless and odor oless oil known as bujol when fuming acid is used nates are ob bained known as Twitch ells reagent the amount of acid per gallon of refined product varies primarily with the character of the crude oil and also with the refining methods employed for the manufacture of gasoline the general consumption varies between and pounds of acid 66 degrees B per gallon for refined oils to for lubricating t os oils to an explosive ingredient in the manufacture of explosives sulphuric acid is used for two purposes 1 for the production of nitric acid or mixed acids used in nitrating the organic bodies that is cellulose phenol etc and 2 as a dehydrating agent for nitrating purposes 66 degrees za B acid is used but stronger acids are required for dehydrating purposes in the manufacture of military explosives the net consumption of acid varies greatly according to the efficiency of the plant and the amount of acid recovered data obtained in 1918 indicates an average consumption as follows for smokeless power 23 pounds per cent of acid per pound of product for TNT 22 for picric acid 65 expanding use in fertilizers with the gradual elimination of the beehive coke oven by the byproduct by product coke plant more ammonia will be available for the production of ammonium sulphate fertilizer ti and this will require more and more acid possibly as much as tons per cent a month for the pickling of steel for tinning and galvanizing the consumption is approximately to tons per month per cent when the production of plate and 9 galvanized alvani zed ware is heavy this acid is usually shipped to the pickling plant as 60 degrees acid the consumption of acid for metal metallurgical metallurgic lill cical a purposes in connection with the treatment treat men mIll t great grea of zinc and copper ores has increased ly in the west during the past few years year part of the acid is used in the flotation of copper and zinc minerals from their ores 0 also a large amount is used in leaching leaca of 0 the ores and waste tailings for recovery copper or zinc content |