bereal511
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Sulfuric acid from copper salts.
I understand that the production and obtaining of sulfuric acid in all its forms has been discussed ad nauseum throughout this forum (burning sulfur,
decomposing iron sulfate, electrolysis of sulfate salts, boiling battery acid, etc. etc.). I don't want to waste any time going into speculative
details, as there are several ways for me to obtain sulfuric acid as shown here alone.
But I did just read this reaction in my textbook:
2 CuCl2(aq) + SO2 → 2 CuCl(s) + 2 HCl(aq) + H2SO4(aq)
My question is whether this is a feasible way to obtain sulfuric acid since cuprous chloride is an insoluble salt and the hydrochloric acid could
simply be boiled off (and collected). With the cuprous chloride, it could be recycled by heating it to cupric chloride. If any problems could come
from this, I'd like to know. Thanks.
As an adolescent I aspired to lasting fame, I craved factual certainty, and I thirsted for a meaningful vision of human life -- so I became a
scientist. This is like becoming an archbishop so you can meet girls.
-- Matt Cartmill
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Odyssèus
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I'd imagine the H2SO4 would react with the CuCl. Though it might not react away immediatly.
[Edited on 23-3-2006 by Odyssèus]
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unionised
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It's an interesting idea. particularly since
2CuCl+ 2HCl +O2 --> 2CuCl2 + H2O
so you could make this a catalytic system for SO2 oxidation to H2SO4.
It might not be practical for a large scale, but it's certainly worth thinking about.
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12AX7
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I may have to try it (although I don't have any CuCl on hand), but Cu2O does disproportionate in H2SO4: Cu2O + H2SO4 = Cu + CuSO4 + H2O. Leaves a
brown to red, sometimes clumpy or crystalline powder of copper metal and a blue solution of cupric sulfate. Supposedly Cu2SO4 can be isolated, though
(I seem to remember spotting it in Brauer).
Tim
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BromicAcid
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All the CuCl2 is, is the oxidizing agent. There are many many oxidizing agents to facilitate this reaction.
H<sub>2</sub>O<sub>2</sub> is one good example of a clean oxidizing agent but just bubbling air through a solution of
SO<sub>2</sub> in water will oxidize some of it. I don't think this reaction would work at moderate concentrations of sulfuric acid,
reactions to produce HCl and such might abound, but then again the acid can always be concentrated by heat. Notice in the thread on sulfuric acid
(one of the threads on sulfuric acid) I mention a method to make ~50% H<sub>2</sub>SO<sub>4</sub> using a manganese catalsyt
and air with SO<sub>2</sub> so the use of transition metals as catalysts in this process is feasible to some extent. I think copper might
have even been mentioned in the PDF I posted as an option.
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bereal511
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Well, it's just that I have quite a bit of copper chloride lying around at my house, so I've been looking for something to use it for. I'd like to
delude myself to think that it's cheaper than using manganese oxide or hydrogen peroxide  .
As an adolescent I aspired to lasting fame, I craved factual certainty, and I thirsted for a meaningful vision of human life -- so I became a
scientist. This is like becoming an archbishop so you can meet girls.
-- Matt Cartmill
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