garryb
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Historical production of sulphuric acid
I am aware that the first commercial route to sulphuric acid was by the distillation of ferrous sulphate, with condensation of the evolved SO2 and
SO3. I have often wondered where moderately large amounts of ferrous sulphate were obtained for this. Of course iron compounds, including things easy
to work with such as ferrous carbonate are widely found, but how do you get to ferrous sulphate without sulphuric acid? Some double displacement with
another sulphate? Any ideas?
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Organikum
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Ferric and ferrous sulphate occur naturally.
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garryb
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Thanks Organikum. I was not aware of that (I had assumed that such soluble substances would not really be found naturally) but a little research in
mineral books has thrown up copiatite, a mixed ferrous/ferric sulphate. Presumably this is rare, hence the very high price of sulphuric acid before
modern production methods were invented.
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S.C. Wack
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From 1848-9:
http://books.google.com/books?id=vRALAAAAIAAJ&pg=181
to page 195.
http://books.google.com/books?id=hxALAAAAIAAJ&pg=220
to page 245.
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garryb
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Well thank you indeed S.C.Wack. You certainly deserve your sobriquet of bibliomaster! Those are absolutely fascinating. Thanks again.
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S.C. Wack
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There are 2 versions of the best book that I've seen on sulfuric acid manufacture, published in 1879.
http://books.google.com/books?id=vkU3AAAAMAAJ&printsec=t...
http://books.google.com/books?id=jmgDAAAAQAAJ&printsec=t...
Given the time and the experience of the author, the focus is of course on the lead chamber process. The "Nordhausen" process mentioned in this thread
starts on page 630.
The other two volumes, from 1880, are like the first comprehensive, informative, and well scanned for a google book.
http://books.google.com/books?id=1UY3AAAAMAAJ&printsec=t...
http://books.google.com/books?id=Kkc3AAAAMAAJ&printsec=t...
There is also other stuff from the same author there.
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