The Contact Process: Equilibrium, V₂O₅ Catalysis and Emission Control
Students will be introduced to the Contact process as an industrial method for producing sulfuric acid and its wide range of uses.
Key Questions
- Apply Kp calculations and Le Chatelier's principle to determine the optimal temperature and pressure for the SO₃ production step, explaining why the industrial compromise (450 °C, ~1 atm) favours kinetics over maximum equilibrium yield.
- Explain the catalytic mechanism of V₂O₅ in the Contact process, including the vanadium(V)/vanadium(IV) redox cycle, and analyse why catalyst activity drops sharply above 600 °C.
- Evaluate the environmental engineering of the Contact process by calculating atom economy for each stage and analysing how double-absorption technology reduces SO₂ emissions below regulatory limits.
MOE Syllabus Outcomes
Suggested Methodologies
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