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Sulfuric acid (American spelling and the preferred IUPAC name) or sulphuric acid (Commonwealth spelling), known in antiquity as oil of vitriol, is a mineral acid composed of the elements sulfur, oxygen, and hydrogen, with the molecular formula H2SO4.
Sulfuric acid is a colorless, odorless, and viscous liquid that is miscible with water.
Product name: Sulfuric acid
CBnumber: CB9675634
CAS: 7664-93-9
EINECS Number: 231-639-5
Synonyms: sulfuric acid, Concentrated sulfuric acid
Pure sulfuric acid does not occur naturally due to Sulfuric acid's strong affinity to water vapor; Sulfuric acid is hygroscopic and readily absorbs water vapor from the air.
Concentrated sulfuric acid is a strong oxidant with powerful dehydrating properties, making Sulfuric acid highly corrosive towards other materials, from rocks to metals.
Phosphorus pentoxide is a notable exception in that Sulfuric acid is not dehydrated by sulfuric acid but, to the contrary, dehydrates sulfuric acid to sulfur trioxide.
When sulfuric acid is added to water, a considerable amount of heat is released; thus, the reverse procedure of adding water to the acid is generally avoided since the heat released may boil the solution, spraying droplets of hot acid during the process.
Upon contact with body tissue, sulfuric acid can cause severe acidic chemical burns and secondary thermal burns due to dehydration.
Dilute sulfuric acid is substantially less hazardous without the oxidative and dehydrating properties.
Nonetheless, Sulfuric acid must be handled with care due to Sulfuric acid's acidity.
There are many methods for producing sulfuric acid, including the contact process, the wet sulfuric acid process, and the lead chamber process.
Sulfuric acid is also a key substance in the chemical industry.
Sulfuric acid is most commonly used in fertilizer manufacture but is also important in mineral processing, oil refining, wastewater treating, and chemical synthesis.
Sulfuric acid has a wide range of end applications, including in domestic acidic drain cleaners, as an electrolyte in lead-acid batteries, as a dehydrating compound, and in various cleaning agents.
Sulfuric acid can be obtained by dissolving sulfur trioxide in water.
Information on basic physicochemical properties:
Appearance: colorless clear, liquid
Odour: odorless
Odour Threshold: Not applicable
pH: 1.2 at 5 g/l
Melting point/freezing point: Melting point: 10.31 degrees C
Initial boiling point and boiling range: 290 degrees C - lit.
Flash point: 11 degrees C
Vapour pressure: 1.33 hPa at 145.8 degrees C
Vapour density: 3.39 - (Air = 1.0)
Relative density: 1.84
Water solubility: soluble
Viscosity: Viscosity, kinematic: No data available Viscosity, dynamic: 23 mPa.s at 20 degrees C
Hazards identification:
GHS Label elements, including precautionary statements
Symbol: (GHS)
Precautionary statements:
P264 Wash hands thoroughly after handling.
P264 Wash skin thoroughly after handling.
P301+P330+P331 IF SWALLOWED: Rinse mouth. Do NOT induce vomiting.
P303+P361+P353 IF ON SKIN (or hair): Remove/Take off Immediately all contaminated clothing. Rinse SKIN with water/shower.
P305+P351+P338 IF IN EYES: Rinse cautiously with water for several minutes. Remove contact lenses, if present and easy to do. Continue rinsing.
P321 Specific treatment.
P332+P313 IF SKIN irritation occurs: Get medical advice/attention.
P337+P313 IF eye irritation persists: Get medical advice/attention.
P405 Store locked up.
Hazard statements:
H314 Causes severe skin burns and eye damage.
H315 Causes skin irritation.
H318 Causes serious eye damage.
H319 Causes serious eye irritation.
Description of first aid measures:
General advice: First aiders need to protect themselves.
Show this material safety data sheet to the doctor in attendance.
If inhaled:
After inhalation: fresh air.
Call in physician.
In case of skin contact:
In case of skin contact: Take off immediately all contaminated clothing.
Rinse skin with water/ shower.
Call a physician immediately.
In case of eye contact:
After eye contact: rinse out with plenty of water.
Immediately call in ophthalmologist.
Remove contact lenses.
If swallowed:
After swallowing: make victim drink water (two glasses at most), avoid vomiting (risk of perforation).
Call a physician immediately.
Do not attempt to neutralize.
Extinguishing media:
Suitable extinguishing media:Use water spray, alcohol-resistant foam, dry chemical or carbon dioxide.
Special hazards arising from the substance or mixture:
Sulfur oxides Not combustible.
Ambient fire may liberate hazardous vapors.
Advice for firefighters:
Stay in danger area only with self-contained breathing apparatus.
Prevent skin contact by keeping a safe distance or by wearing suitable protective clothing.
Suppress (knock down) gases/vapors/mists with a water spray jet.
Prevent fire extinguishing water from contaminating surface water or the ground water system.
Accidental release measures:
Personal precautions, protective equipment and emergency procedures:
Advice for non-emergency personnel: Do not breathe vapors, aerosols.
Avoid substance contact.
Ensure adequate ventilation.
Evacuate the danger area, observe emergency procedures, consult an expert.
For personal protection see section 8.
Environmental precautions:
Do not let product enter drains.
Methods and materials for containment and cleaning up:
Cover drains.
Collect, bind, and pump off spills.
Observe possible material restrictions.
Take up with liquid-absorbent and neutralizing material.
Dispose of properly.
Clean up affected area.
Toxicological information:
Information on toxicological effects:
Acute toxicity:
LD50 Oral - Rat - male and female - 2140 mg/kg
Remarks: (ECHA)
Inhalation: Corrosive to respiratory system. Dermal
Skin corrosion/irritation:Skin - Rabbit
Result: Extremely corrosive and destructive to tissue.
Serious eye damage/eye irritation:Causes serious eye damage.
Respiratory or skin sensitization:No data available
Germ cell mutagenicity:
Test Type: Ames test
Test system: Salmonella typhimurium Result: negative
Remarks: (HSDB)
Toxicity:
LD50 orally in rats: 2.14 g/kg (Smyth)
Ecological information:
Toxicity to daphnia and other aquatic invertebrates:
Static test EC50 - Daphnia magna (Water flea) - more than 100 mg/l - 48 h (OECD Test Guideline 202)
Toxicity to algae:
Static test ErC50 - Desmodesmus subspicatus (green algae) - more than 100 mg/l - 72 h (OECD Test Guideline 201)
Persistence and degradability:The methods for determining the biological degradability are not applicable to inorganic substances.
Results of PBT and vPvB assessment:PBT/vPvB assessment not available as chemical safety assessment not required/not conducted.
Toxics Screening Level:
The chronic ITSL for sulfuric acid, sulfur trioxide, and for oleum is 1 microgram/m3 based on annual averaging time.
The acute ITSL for sulfuric acid, sulfur trioxide, and for oleum is 120 micrograms/m3 based on a 1-hour averaging time.
Other adverse effects:
Biological effects:
Harmful effect due to pH shift.
Caustic even in diluted form.
Sulfuric acid does not cause biological oxygen deficit.
Sulfuric acid endangers drinking-water supplies if allowed to enter soil and/or waters in large quantities.
Neutralization possible in waste water treatment plants.
Discharge into the environment must be avoided.
Disposal considerations:
Waste treatment methods:
Incompatibilities:
Sulfuric acid is a powerful oxidizer and may ignite or explode on contact with many materials.
Avoid storage in close proximity to water, most common metals, organic materials, strong reducing agents, combustible materials, strong bases, carbonates, sulfides, cyanides, strong oxidizing agents, and carbides.
Product:
Offer surplus and non-recyclable solutions to a licensed disposal company.
Waste Disposal:
Add slowly to solution of soda ash and slaked lime with stirring; flush to drain with large volumes of water.
Recovery and reuse of spent sulfuric acid may be a viable alternative to disposal, and processes are available.
Transport information:
UN number:
ADR/RID: 1830 IMDG: 1830 IATA-DGR: 1830
UN proper shipping name:
ADR/RID: SULPHURIC ACID IMDG: SULPHURIC ACID IATA-DGR: Sulphuric acid
Transport hazard class(es):
ADR/RID: 8 IMDG: 8 IATA-DGR: 8
Packaging group:
ADR/RID: II IMDG: II IATA-DGR: II
Environmental hazards:
ADR/RID: no IMDG Marine pollutant: no IATA-DGR: no
Special precautions for user:
Based on chemical properties, choose appropriate tools and conditions of transport.
Transporting tools shall be equipped with appropriate and sufficient firefighting equipment and emergency leaking installations.
If transporting by road, please go along the specified route.
Incompatible materials:
Animal/vegetable tissues.
Contact with metals liberates hydrogen gas.
