Overview
By some measure the most widely produced chemical in the world today, sulfuric acid, has an extraordinary range of uses including phosphate fertilizer production, explosives, glue, wood preservative, and lead-acid batteries. A corrosive and dangerous acid, producing sulfuric acid requires stringent adherence to environmental regulatory guidance within cost efficient standards of production. This work is an experience-based review of how sulfuric acid plants work, how they should be designed, and how they should be operated to maximize sulfur capture and minimize environmental impact. Using practical experience and physical analysis, Davenport and King review sulfur manufacturing, where regulatory guidance is becoming tighter (and where new processes are being required to meet them), and where water consumption and energy considerations are being brought to bear. This second edition examines (i) newly developed acid-making processes and (ii) new methods of minimizing unwanted sulfur emissions. Readers are recent science and engineering graduates entering the chemical industry, and experienced professionals in chemical plant design companies, chemical plant production companies, sulfuric acid recycling companies, and sulfuric acid users. Unique mathematical analysis of sulfuric acid manufacturing processes to optimize sulfuric acid manufacturing processes. Analysis of recently developed sulfuric acid manufacturing techniques suggests advantages and disadvantages of new processes from the energy and environmental perspectives. Analysis of tail gas sulfur capture processes indicates the best way to combine sulfuric acid making and tailgas sulfur-capture processes from the energy and environmental perspectives. Draws on the authors' industrial connections from years of hands-on experience in sulfuric acid manufacture.