Question:

Which metal catalyst is used to prepare sulphuric acid in contact process?

Updated On: May 12, 2023
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Solution and Explanation

 The contact process is a widely used method for producing sulfuric acid industrially. This process involves the use of a catalyst to help promote the oxidation of sulfur dioxide to sulfur trioxide. The most commonly used catalyst in the contact process is vanadium pentoxide (V2O5).

Vanadium pentoxide is used as a solid catalyst, which is packed into a reactor where it is exposed to a mixture of sulfur dioxide, oxygen, and nitrogen gases. The reaction between sulfur dioxide and oxygen is highly exothermic and produces sulfur trioxide gas.

The overall reaction can be represented by the following equation:

2SO2(g) + O2(g) → 2SO3(g)

The sulfur trioxide is then absorbed into a solution of sulfuric acid, where it reacts to form more sulfuric acid. This step is highly exothermic and releases a significant amount of heat.

The contact process using vanadium pentoxide as a catalyst is highly efficient and allows for the production of high-quality sulfuric acid on an industrial scale.

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Concepts Used:

Catalysis

All reactants need to overcome certain energy, better known as activation energy in order to form products. This activation energy is the difference between the energy of the transition state and the reactant species.

Types of Catalysis:

Catalysis of chemical reactions is generally divided into two categories:

  1. Homogeneous Catalysis: Homogeneous catalysis of chemical reactions is a process where the reactants involved in the reaction and the catalyst are in the same phase. For example hydrolysis of sugar in the presence of sulphuric acid.
  2. Heterogeneous Catalysis: Heterogeneous catalysis of chemical reactions is a process where the reactants involved in the reaction and the catalyst are in different phases. For example reaction of hydrogen and nitrogen in the presence of finely divided iron to form ammonia.