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Sulphuric Acid Dilution, Handling and Storage



Packaged plant to dilute Sulphuric Acid

For the many industries which handle and store Sulphuric Acid, significant cost savings can be made by purchasing and transporting it in its most concentrated form and diluting locally it on-site.

How to dilute sulphuric acid with water

Concentrated Sulphuric Acid, has a great affinity for water and so the H2SO4 dilution process has a high exothermic heat of dilution – releasing large quantities of heat energy. When sulphuric acid is diluted in water the heat energy can result in the boiling of the mixture if the process is not carefully controlled.

Regardless of the proportions of the feedstocks and the final concentration, the mixture will always pass through the maximum exotherm (in excess of 145°C) at some point in the process.

How is concentrated sulphuric acid stored?

Traditionally, due to the corrosive nature of concentrated Sulphuric Acid and the high process temperatures, acid dilution plants are made up of different materials each with different expansion and contraction rates which ultimately lead to leaks and external corrosion issues. Typically, mixing and cooling plants use resin-filled graphite, carbon, or glass for contact surfaces; these relatively fragile and expensive materials can often suffer from severe thermal shock due to the thermal cycling, leading to high maintenance costs and significant plant downtime.

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Dilution of sulphuric acid

Developed over 30 years ago, we have continually pioneered the use of Thermoplastics in many blending, dilution and cooling systems to take advantage of their excellent chemical resistance.

Sulphuric Acid Dilution Systems present an additional challenge with the high exothermic heat of the dilution process. However, by utilising PVDF for the initial mixing phase, Polypropylene for the volume mixing and pumping system and HDPE for our unique internal heat exchangers we can address the corrosion, heat and subsequent cooling challenges with these three Thermoplastic materials and achieve a compact “plug and play” batch dilution design.

The batch dilution process is entirely managed through a PLC control panel to give safe and accurate control of the dilution process by monitoring the solution density and temperature without any manual intervention. If an alarm situation was to occur, the system would initiate a close-down procedure to render the system safe.

The flexibility of the system is important and many different dilution recipes can be pre-programmed to provide a comprehensive range of concentrations.

Standard Sulphuric Acid dilution units are available in a range of models with batch capacities from 1m³ to 5m3.  Larger capacity systems can be designed based on client requirements, providing your perfect Sulphuric Acid Dilution System.

Customer Testimonial

“The Chem Resist Sulfuric Acid Dilution equipment has been in use at our Valkeakoski plant in Finland since November 2019. The design, installation and commissioning phases of the project ran well. Since commissioning the equipment has been very reliable and the quality of the dilute has always been to specification. Some minor adjustments have been made remotely with full technical advice and support. We have since expanded our product storage capacity and built more infrastructure around the unit to accommodate an increase in requirements. The equipment has been in use almost daily and has proven to be a good investment giving excellent payback. The people at Chem Resist have been very helpful and responsive throughout.”

Markus Buchen – BU Director, Bang and Bonsomer Environment and Industry

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HOW TO ENSURE SAFE SULPHURIC ACID STORAGE

Sulphuric Acid is an extremely corrosive mineral acid that challenges traditional chemical storage options. This pungent, colourless to slightly yellow viscous liquid is dyed a dark brown colour throughout its production to alert people to its corrosive nature. Sulphuric Acid is a particularly aggressive oxidiser which challenges the strength and design of many storage tanks. Chem Resist Thermoplastic Spiral Wound Storage tanks can be used to safely store both concentrated and dilute Sulphuric Acid.

advantages of thermoplastic spiral wound chemical storage tanks

ENQUIRE ABOUT THIS PRODUCT

Send a message to the Chem Resist sales team for more information on Sulphuric Acid Dilution

Alternatively, contact us on +44 1924 499466 or [email protected].

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