×
INTELLIGENT WORK FORUMS
FOR ENGINEERING PROFESSIONALS

Log In

Come Join Us!

Are you an
Engineering professional?
Join Eng-Tips Forums!
  • Talk With Other Members
  • Be Notified Of Responses
    To Your Posts
  • Keyword Search
  • One-Click Access To Your
    Favorite Forums
  • Automated Signatures
    On Your Posts
  • Best Of All, It's Free!
  • Students Click Here

*Eng-Tips's functionality depends on members receiving e-mail. By joining you are opting in to receive e-mail.

Posting Guidelines

Promoting, selling, recruiting, coursework and thesis posting is forbidden.

Students Click Here

Jobs

Pending Sulfuric Acid Shortage?

Pending Sulfuric Acid Shortage?

Pending Sulfuric Acid Shortage?

(OP)
I have been hearing rumors that there's going to be a severe sulfuric acid shortage due to the following which is going to drastically effect the price of H2SO4:
1)from the ethanol plants which use sulfuric acid in their processes (fermentation of ethanol)
2)production of more phosphate fertilizers which use  60% of all sulfuric acid produced
3)metal processing  which uses sulfuric acid in its leaching process
4)global boom in construction which uses metals such as nickel and copper
5) Shutdown of sulfuric acid facilities in the US
Scheduled shutdown for maintenance in the fourth quarter (US Plants)
Have any of you heard of this pending problem? We currently use sulfuric acid in our cooling towers, what would be a good alternative to sulfic acid if this supply/demand becomes an issue?

RE: Pending Sulfuric Acid Shortage?

There is a tight market for sulfuric right now.  However the amount you would use in a cooling tower is quite small.  There would be very little economic benefit to switch to something else.  Sulfuric is around 90 $/ton.  So one truck load is only a few thousand dollars and would last quite awhile.  If you are using acid in your process that would change the economics.

RE: Pending Sulfuric Acid Shortage?

There is no such thing as a "shortage" in a market economy.

Market economy or free market economy functions primarily depending upon the forces of the market, namely demand and supply. The institution of the market allocates and  distributes commodities based on the principle of "price" determined by the interaction of the forces of the market. Price of a commodity generally shoots up when its demand exceeds supply and when the reverse occurs, it is generally associated with price cuts of the good in question.

An alternative acid to use is hydrochloric acid.

You can also increase the tower blowdown and reduce the consumption of acid as well.

RE: Pending Sulfuric Acid Shortage?

Sulphuric acid is still one of the cheapest commodity chemicals.  If the price rises, there will be incentive for people with acid plants under capacity to start burning sulphur.  Doubt any shortage will last long.

RE: Pending Sulfuric Acid Shortage?

ash9144 - That $90/ton price...is that from experience? I have been hearing things like $300/ton (in TX), but not sure if it's just a quantity diff (buying drums vs. buying tanker). Thanks for any light you can shed...

RE: Pending Sulfuric Acid Shortage?

$90 is what I saw as current market price.  That is bulk quantities (rail, truck, barge).  If in drums probably some specialized grade (purity).  Yes I spent 4 years in sulfuric regeneration unit.

RE: Pending Sulfuric Acid Shortage?

The use of sulfuric acid in ethanol production might take off, since it is used in cellulose breakdown.

The phosphoric acid fertilizer plants in the US are running near capacity, but I don't think there are any plans to increase capacity with any new plants.

There are mountains of sulfur in Canada that can and will be used if market forces demand it.

I'd agree on the $90 price for bulk rail.  The use of sulfuric acid for potato vine kill is over for the season, so prices should stay level for a while.

Red Flag This Post

Please let us know here why this post is inappropriate. Reasons such as off-topic, duplicates, flames, illegal, vulgar, or students posting their homework.

Red Flag Submitted

Thank you for helping keep Eng-Tips Forums free from inappropriate posts.
The Eng-Tips staff will check this out and take appropriate action.

Reply To This Thread

Posting in the Eng-Tips forums is a member-only feature.

Click Here to join Eng-Tips and talk with other members!


Resources