Chemistry presentation

Topic : Contact Process

 What is contact process
and who invented it
Contact process is the major industrial process Peregrine Phillips
used to make sulphuric acid,
by oxidizing Sulphur dioxide in the presence
of a solid catalyst and absorbing the resulting
Sulphur trioxide in water.
The process was invented by Peregrine
Phillips, a vinegar manufacturer of Bristol, in
his patent of 1831, and to him belongs the
credit of making the original scientific
discovery and of realizing its commercial
possibilities.
 How does contact process work
The process can be divided into four stages:,.
• Combining of sulfur and oxygen (O2) to form
sulfur dioxide.
• then purify the sulfur dioxide in a purification
unit.
• Adding an excess of oxygen to sulfur dioxide in
the presence of the catalyst vanadium pentoxide
at 450 °C and 1-2 atm.
• At last sulfur trioxide is reacted with water(H20)
which produces sulfuric acid.
 Chamber process
Before getting in to more of sulfuric acid lets talk about There are other ways to utilize chambe
how sulfuric acid was produced before contact process! process but this one was mostly used

chamber process, also called Lead-chamber

Process, method of producing sulfuric acid by oxidizing
sulfur dioxide with moist air, using gaseous nitrogen
oxides as catalysts, the reaction taking place primarily in
a series of large, boxlike chambers of sheet lead.

A question might come why was this overtaken by

contact process well It is because the contact process is
more economical and uses less expensive catalysts; not
only that, this process produces sulfur trioxide and
oleum as well
 Advantages
• Larger amount of sulfuric acid is
manufactured.
• More economically sound and
effective than other methods like
chamber process.
• Is widely used.
• Gives oleum and sulfur trioxide for
free which is a great plus point.
Disadvantages
• The biggest problem is that the
catalyst can be poisoned if sulfur
dioxide is not fairly pure. Here
Poisoning refers specifically to
chemical deactivation which would
cause the process to stop working
and huge loss.
 To what extent contact process is applicable?
The following reasons are proof that contact process is highly applicable and
productive:
1. Efficiency: The Contact Process allows for the efficient conversion of sulfur
dioxide to sulfur trioxide. This is achieved by using a catalyst, typically
vanadium pentoxide (V2O5), which enhances the reaction rate without being
consumed.
2. Economic viability: The Contact Process is economically viable due to the
abundance of raw materials, namely sulfur dioxide, which is a byproduct of
various industrial processes, including the combustion of sulfur-containing
fossil fuels. The availability of raw materials at a relatively low cost contributes
to the economic feasibility of the process.
3. Safety: The Contact Process has been optimized over time to ensure safety in
industrial settings. Safety measures, such as proper handling of sulfur dioxide
and the design of equipment to prevent leaks and releases.
 Does Pakistan manufacture sulfuric acid?
The answer is yes Pakistan does manufacture
sulfuric acid through contact process.
Musa Pak Chemical Industries is one the
major certified manufacturer/supplier of
Sulfuric Acid, for industrial use in southern
Punjab. We serve our customer from
production location in Multan, which operate
and serve 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
Thank you
For your cooperation