Sulphuric Acid

Sulphuric acid (American spelling) or sulphuric acid (British spelling), also known as oil of vitriol, is a mineral acid composed of the elements sulphur, oxygen and hydrogen, with molecular formula H2SO4. It is a colourless, odourless, and viscous liquid that is soluble in water and is synthesized in reactions that are highly exothermic.

The acid's corrosiveness towards other materials can be mainly ascribed to its strong acidic nature, and if at a high concentration, it's dehydrating alongside oxidizing properties. It is also hygroscopic, readily absorbing water vapour from the air. Upon contact, sulphuric acid can cause severe chemical burns and even secondary thermal burns due to dehydration; it is very dangerous even at lower concentrations.

Sulphuric acid is a very important commodity chemical, and a nation's sulphuric acid production is a good indicator of its industrial strength. It is widely produced with different methods, such as contact process, wet sulphuric acid process, lead chamber process and some other methods. Sulphuric acid is also a key substance in the chemical industry. It is most commonly used in fertilizer manufacture, but is also important in mineral processing, oil refining, wastewater processing, and chemical synthesis. It has a wide range of end applications including in domestic acidic drain cleaners, as an electrolyte in lead-acid batteries, in dehydrating a compound, and in various cleaning agents.