Introduction
Sulfuric acid is a highly versatile compound extensively used in various industries. It serves as a fundamental building block for thousands of other chemical compounds produced in chemical plants. A significant portion of sulfuric acid is consumed in the production of sulfate fertilizers, such as ammonium sulfate. Additionally, it plays a crucial role in the manufacturing of phosphoric acid, another essential component in phosphate fertilizers. Furthermore, sulfuric acid finds extensive applications in the metallurgical industry for metal processing.
Production of Sulfuric Acid by Direct Contact Process
The contact process is a primary industrial method for producing sulfuric acid. In this process, high-purity sulfur (typically 99%) is employed as the feedstock. The sulfur is melted in concrete tanks using steam coils at a temperature of 125°C. Subsequently, it is pumped into a combustion furnace where it burns to form sulfur dioxide (SO2). The resulting SO2 gas is then directed to a heat exchanger and subsequently reacts with vanadium pentoxide, a catalyst, to form sulfur trioxide (SO3).
Within absorption towers, the sulfur trioxide (SO3) is absorbed by 98% sulfuric acid, resulting in the formation of oleum. This oleum is immediately transferred to a circulation tank. The term “circulation tank” is used because the sulfuric acid within this tank, as well as in the absorption towers, is continuously circulated, forming a closed production cycle.
By adding water to the tank, the oleum is diluted, producing sulfuric acid with a concentration exceeding 98%. The resulting acid is then transferred to storage tanks via specialized pipelines. This process yields sulfuric acid with a concentration greater than 98%.
S + O2 → SO2 + q
SO2 +1/2 O2 → SO3 + q
SO3 +H2O →H2SO4 + q
H2SO4 + SO3→ H2S2O7
Currently, there are more than 50 companies producing sulfuric acid in IRAN, all of which use the contact method for their production.
.In this project, the production process of sulfuric acid is simulated by proximity method with the help of Aspen Hysys software
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