Question

On the contact process for the production of sulfuric acid, ¿does the process need an specific atmospheric pressure?, if so how much atmospheres are needed?.Thanks

Answer 1

2 SO2(g) + O2(g) ⇌ 2 SO3(g) : ΔH = −197 kJ mol−1

According to the Le Chatelier's principle, a lower temperature should be used to shift the chemical equilibrium towards the right, hence increasing the percentage yield. However too low of a temperature will lower the formation rate to an uneconomical level. Hence to increase the reaction rate, high temperatures (450 °C), medium pressures (1-2 atm), and vanadium(V) oxide (V2O5) are used to ensure a 96% conversion.