APPLIED CHEMISTRY

Explain Flow Sheet Diagram For the

Industrial Preparation of HNO3 and HCl
Nitric Acid – HNO3
 Nitric acid is a very strong acid.
 HNO3 is used as a strong oxidizing agent.
 It can be manufactured by the catalytic oxidation
of ammonia.
 It is a common reagent used in laboratories and an
important chemical used in industries to
manufacture explosives and fertilizers.
 The PH of Nitric acid is approximately 3.01.
Manufacture of nitric acid by Ostwald’s
process
Principle :
1. Catalytic oxidation of NH3 to NO : When
ammonia is oxidized with oxygen in presence of
catalyst platinum and rhodium in 9 : 1 ratio at about
8000C and 5 atmospheric pressure, nitric oxide is
formed.
 2. Oxidation of NO to NO2 : Nitric oxide is cooled
to about 500C to 1000C and air oxidized to
nitrogen dioxide.

3. Oxidation of nitrogen dioxide(NO2) to nitric

acid in presence of air and water.

Working of the plant or process :

The working of the plant involves following steps :

1. Catalyst converter : Ammonia gas and air in the

ratio of 1:8 by volume is first compressed and
passed through converter where ammonia is
oxidized into nitric oxide in the presence of
platinum as catalyst at temperature 8000C.

2. Cooler : The nitric oxide formed is cooled

using refrigerator. The cooled nitric oxide is passed
in oxidation chamber.
 3. Oxidation chamber : In this chamber,
nitric oxide combines with oxygen to form nitrogen
dioxide.

 4. Absorption tower : In absorption tower

water is sprayed from its roof and tower is packed
with acid proof(resistant) flint (stone). Here,
nitrogen dioxide and oxygen {present in air} react
with water to form nitric acid.
 Thus obtained nitric acid is about 60% concentrated.
On distillation, {nitric acid vaporize first, i.e. b.pt.
860C)} the concentration of nitric acid can be
increased upto 68%. This is the commercial nitric
acid available.
Preparation of 98% nitric acid : For the
preparation of conc. HNO3, it is treated with conc.
H2SO4, which acts as dehydrating agent. So it
absorbs water molecules strongly. The resulting
mixture is distilled where nitric acid vaporizes first{
b.pt. 860C}. The vapour is condensed to form 98%
nitric acid.{ This form of nitric acid is further
crystallized at -420C which is separated and melted
to get conc. HNO3.}
Hydrogen Chloride
Hydrochloric acid is a clear, colorless, highly
pungentsolution of hydrogen chloride (HCl) in
water. It is a highly corrosive, strong mineral acid
with many industrial uses. Hydrochloric acid is
found naturally in gastric acid. About 20 million
tonnes of hydrochloric acid are produced worldwide
annually.
Introduction
Hydrogen Chloride was first prepared in the year 1648
by Glauber by heating sodium chloride with
concentrated H2SO4. In the year 1840, Davy showed
that HCl is a compound of chlorine and hydrogen. The
common name for hydrochloric acid is muriatic acid.
Production Of HCl
Hydrochloric acid may be manufactured by several
different processes, although over 90 percent of the HCl
produced in the world is a by-product of
the chlorination reaction.
1:Organic by-product Synthesis
Hydrochloric acid is made during chlorination
of organic products as follows:
RH₂+ Cl₂→RCl + HCl
Hydrochloric acid is also made during fluorination of
chlorinated organic products to manufacture
(hydro)chlorofluorocarbons as follows:
RCl + HF→RF + HCl
Where RCl stands for chloroform, trichloro ethane, etc
and RF stands for (hydro) chlorofluorocarbons.
2:Sulfuric Acid Method
HCl is Generally made in Industries by the Action of
Sulphuric Acid on Common salt NaCl.
1) NaCl +H2S04 ------> NaHS04 +HCl
2) NaHS04+NaCl -------> Na2S04+ HCl
These reactions may be carried out by heating the
mixture of salt and sulphuric acid either in an "open
roaster," or in muffle or "close roaster’ ’These are
both called "salt-cake furnaces."
3:Organic Waste Incineration
Hydrochloric acid is made during Incineration, at high
temperatures, of chlorinated wastes as follows.
HCCl=CCI2+ 3.5O2+ CH4  3C02+ 3HCl +H20
HCCl=CCI2+ 1.502+ H20 2C02+ 3HCl
C4H6Cl2+ 5O2 4CO2+ 2HCl
4:Thermal decomposition of hydrated heavy metal
chlorides
HCl is also produced by thermal decomposition of
hydrated heavy metal chlorides from spent pickle liquor
in metal treatment as;
2FeCl3+ 6H2O Fe2O3+ 3H2O + 6HCl
5:Burner Process
Chlorine and hydrogen react exothermally to form
hydrogen chloride gas as follows:
Cl₂+ H₂→2HCl
Both gases pass through a burner nozzle, and are ignited
inside a graphite combustion chamber, which is cooled
Bywater. The hydrogen chloride gas produced is
cooled, and absorbed into water to give hydrochloric
acid at the desired concentration.
6:Synthesis from elements
Uses
For pickling Steel For the manufacturing of PVC pipes
For the production of compounds that used in
wastewater treatment For manufacturing of Dyes and
Fertilizer sit is used in textile and rubber industries.