Thomas J. Sullivan
Published: 2015-07-26
Total Pages: 256
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Excerpt from Sulphuric Acid Handbook As sulphuric acid is one of the most important of chemicals, being an intermediate raw product, essential in most manufacturing processes, I think the appearance of this handbook dealing solely with sulphuric acid is well justified. In fact, in almost every industry some sulphuric acid is used and it has been asserted that the consumption of sulphuric acid by any nation is a measure of its degree of industrial progress. This is certainly not strictly correct, but sulphuric acid forms the starting point of, and is used in so many industries that there is considerable element of truth in this statement. A few examples showing some of its important uses follows: (a) For decomposing salts with the production of nitric acid, hydrochloric acid and sodium sulphate, thus indirectly in the manufacture of soda ash, soap, glass, bleaching powder, etc. (b) For the purification of most kinds of oil, including petroleum and tar oils. (c) For pickling (i.e., cleaning) iron goods previous to tinning or galvanizing. (d) As a drying agent in the production of organic dyes, on which the textile industry depends to a large extent. (e) For rendering soluble mineral and animal phosphate (superphosphate) for manures; thus agriculture absorbs large amounts, and consequently food stuffs are affected by fluctuations in the supply of this important chemical. (f) For the manufacture of nitric acid from Chile saltpetre: nitric acid and sulphuric acid together are used in the nitration of organic substances such as glycerine and cellulose forming nitro-glycerine and nitro-cellulose mainly used in the manufacture of explosives now in great demand. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.