Sulfuric Acid Price | Current and Historical
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See monthly Sulfuric Acid prices in 5 locations: United States, South America, Europe, South Asia & Oceania, China, Africa. Also check Sulfuric Acid price history since 2007. The chart below is a sample of Intratec Primary Commodity Prices - subscribe now and gain access to current prices of 237 commodities, including Sulfuric Acid.
Data Legend. The Sulfuric Acid price chart shows the prices in USA Dollar per metric ton (USD/mt) in 6 locations, as follows:
- US: Sulfuric Acid, United States, transaction, cif
- SAM: Sulfuric Acid, South America, transaction, cif, Chile
- EUR: Sulfuric Acid, Europe, transaction, fob, Spain
- SEA: Sulfuric Acid, South Asia & Oceania, transaction, cif, India
- CN: Sulfuric Acid, China, spot, exw
- AFR: Sulfuric Acid, Africa, transaction, cif, Morocco
Data Use. Sulfuric Acid prices are provided as an annual subscription where subscribers have access to reliable pricing data of 237 commodities worldwide. To better understand data provided by Intratec Primary Commodity Prices, check the following documents: Price Assessment Basis , Commodities Specifications , Methodology , User Guide , and Glossary .
Intratec Primary Commodity Prices
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Price Dynamics. The Sulfuric Acid price in United States decreased during November 2018 to 64 USD per metric ton, which represents a considerable decline of 8% compared to the previous month’s value. On a year-over-year basis, Sulfuric Acid prices in United States increased significantly by 12%. Meanwhile, in Spain, the average price of Sulfuric Acid amounted to 57 USD per metric ton, from 29 USD per metric ton one year earlier. On a month-over-month basis, the Sulfuric Acid price in Spain is 30% higher than the price one month before.
The price of Sulfuric Acid in China declined considerably throughout November 2018, reaching 63 USD per metric ton. The price in China is 23% lower than the average price in the previous month and 10% lower than the average price one year before. In contrast, Sulfuric Acid prices in India increased significantly during November 2018, reaching 74 USD per metric ton, which means a rise of 9% from the previous month’s price and a rise of 53% from the previous year’s price.
The Sulfuric Acid prices in Chile experienced a modest decline of 0.5 USD per metric ton from the prior month's price, to 84 USD per metric ton. Such price movement in Chile meant a decrease of 0.6% on a monthly basis and a rise of 59% on a yearly basis. On the other hand, in November 2018, the Sulfuric Acid price in Morocco witnessed a decline of 4 USD per metric ton when compared against the previous month's price, to 90 USD per metric ton. The November 2018 price in Morocco is 49% higher than the price one year before.
About Sulfuric Acid. Sulfuric Acid (a.k.a. H2SO4) is an inorganic compound, in the acid class. It is a colorless to slightly yellow, odorless, and viscous liquid, soluble in water and alcohol, used in many applications. Approximately 50% of the produced sulfuric acid is used in the fertilizer industry. Sulfuric Acid figures among the most important chemicals globally, in 2012 about 230 million tonnes of the commodity produced, with continuing growth in worldwide production been expected.
On commercial scale, this chemical commodity is manufactured essentially by the Contact Process, which involves the catalytic oxidation of sulfur dioxide (SO2), the absorption of the resulting sulfur trioxide (SO3) in Sulfuric Acid and dilution with water. This process has been greatly improved over the past century, mainly to increase sulfur dioxide conversion efficiency (lowering emissions). Nowadays, modern sulfuric acid plants are primarily based on the so-called Double Absorption, an evolution of the Contact Process that incorporates a preliminary SO3 absorption step ahead of the final catalytic oxidation.
Sulfuric acid can be manufactured from several sulfur-bearing raw materials, being elemental sulfur, spent sulfuric acid, and hydrogen sulfide the main ones. It is also widely produced as a by-product of nonferrous metal smelting (e.g. sulfide ores of copper, lead, molybdenum, zinc, or others). It is worth mentioning that, when manufactured from elemental sulfur or pyrite, Sulfuric Acid is a primary product and, consequently, its level of production is naturally sensitive to market conditions. On the other hand, the Sulfuric Acid manufactured from other sulfur-containing raw materials is a secondary product, in such a way that its production is dictated by the primary product market conditions. In fact, such secondary Sulfuric Acid - so-called fatal acid – is mainly produced as a means of disposing of waste from another processes, typically nonferrous metal smelters processing sulfide ores.
Sulfuric Acid should be kept away from water and moisture, as a highly exothermic reaction would occur, particularly at high acid concentrations. It is, at lower concentrations (30-70%), non-oxidizing and attacks the steel rapidly, particularly at elevated temperatures. High temperatures will cause an expansion of the volume, presenting a leakage risk. Temperature, concentration, and volumes must be carefully chosen to ensure a secure storage or transportation. Steel tank cars, often lined to minimize iron contamination, are usually employed for high concentrations of sulfuric acid. Bottom outlets or valves are not allowed, nor are internal steam coils. Tank contents must be unloaded via standpipe. Using air pressure to unload is not recommended for safety reasons.
Raw materials and the respective production processes employed in the manufacturing of Sulfuric Acid are listed below.
- Oleum (hydration),
- Coke oven gas (moist gas catalysis process),
- Sulfur dioxide, raw (nitrous process)
The uses and applications of Sulfuric Acid may vary according to its specification. The main forms of Sulfuric Acid are 33.5% aqueous solution (battery acid); 62.18% aqueous solution (fertilizer acid); 77.67% aqueous solution (tower acid); 98 to 99% aqueous solution (1.84 g/cm³); oleum/fuming ; 60 ºBé (1.71 g/cm³, 77.7% acid); technical grade (66 ºBé, 1.84 g/cm³, 93.2% acid); Food Chemical Codex grade (FCC, 49 to 51% purity); American Chemical Society grade (ACS, 95 to 98% purity); and chemically pure grade (CP, 98% purity).