Sulphuric acid Properties Chemical properties Acidic properties oxidizing properties dehydrating properties sulphonating properties uses of sulfuric acid

1. SULPHURIC
ACID
CHAp 4 XII Sidra Ansari

2. Physical
Properties
Colorless, odorless,
viscous oily liquid
Known as Oil of
Vitriol
MP 10.5oC
BP 290oC
Hygroscopic and
corrosive

3. Available
forms of
H2SO4
● Dilute sulphuric acid 65% H2SO4 1.55
g/cm3
● Concentrated Sulphuric acid 98% H2SO4
1.839g/cm3
● 100% Sulphuric acid 1.838 g/cm3
● Fuming sulphuric acid 20% dissolved SO2
1.929 g/cm3

4. Structure of H2SO4
Tetrahedral structure
Contains H-bonding
Highly viscous and High BP

5. Chemical properties of
H2SO4
A. Acidic properties
B. Oxidizing properties
C. Dehydrating properties
D. Sulphonating properties

6. Acidic
Properties
Strong diprotic acid
Loses two H+ ions
Two Ionic species
H2SO4 + H2O → HSO4
- + H3O+
HSO4
- + H2O → SO4
-2 + H3O+
Neutralizes bases
NaOH + H2SO4 → NaHSO4 + H2O
NaHSO4 + NaOH → Na2SO4 + H2O

7. Oxidizing Properties
Strong oxidizing agent
Three factors:
● Concentration of acid
● Nature of metal
● Temperature

8. Oxidizing
properties
Dilute Sulphuric acid reacts with highly
reactive metals to produce H2
Zn + H2SO4 → ZnSO4 + H2
Less reactive metals are oxidized by
concentrated and hot H2SO4
Cu + 2H2SO4 → CuSO4 + SO2 + 2H2O
Reactive metals with Concentrated acid
4Zn + 5H2SO4 → 4ZnSO4 + H2S + 4H2O

9. Oxidizing
properties
Oxidation of non metals
C + 2H2SO4 → CO2 + 2SO2 + 2H2O
S + 2H2SO4 → 3SO2 + 2H2O

10. Dehydrating
properties
Extracts water from other compounds
- Sugar is turned to Carbon
C12H22O11 + H2SO4 → 12C + 11H2O + H2SO4
- OXalic acid converts to CO and CO2
H2C2O4 + H2SO4 → CO + CO2 + H2O + H2SO4
- Formic acid converts to CO
HCOOH + H2SO4 → CO + H2O + H2SO4

11. Sulphonating
properties
- Reacts with hexane and higher
alkanes forming alkane sulphonic
acid
C6H14 + H2SO4 → C6H13SO3H + H2O
- Reacts with benzene and forms
benzene sulphonic acid
C6H6 + H2SO4 → C6H5SO3H + H2O

12. Importance of
Sulphuric acid
Known as King of
Chemicals