A1d Making Sulphuric Acid using the Contact Process.

Contact process is a 4 stage process to make sulphuric using sulphide ores and vanadium
oxide as a catalyst.

Task 1: Write down word equation and symbol equation for every stage:
Stage 1: Sulphur reacts with oxygen to produce sulphur dioxide. Alternatively, sulphide
ores are used to produce sulphur dioxide in the presence of air.
Word Equation

Symbol Equation

Stage 2: Sulphur dioxide is converted into sulphur trioxide using vanadium oxide as a
catalyst in a reversible reaction. Vanadium (V) oxide is reduced to vanadium (IV) oxide. A
temperature of around 450° C and a pressure of approximately 2 atmospheres.
Word Equation

Symbol Equation

Stage 3: Sulphur trioxide is then converted into sulphuric acid to produce fuming sulphuric
acid. This is not a reversible reaction. It’s an exothermic reaction forming clouds of
sulphuric acid. To minimise the risk, sulphur trioxide is added to concentrated sulphuric acid
to form a corrosive liquid.
Word Equation

Symbol Equation

Stage 4: Fuming Sulphuric acid is added to water to produce more concentrated sulphuric
acid.
Word Equation

Symbol Equation

Task 2: Uses of Sulphuric Acid are;