Sulphuric acid is one of the most abundantly produced and essential strong acid used globally. It has a wide range of industrial applications like in chemical manufacturing, oil refining, wastewater processing and fertilizer production. However, the quality and grade of Sulphuric acid vary significantly based on its purity levels and intended applications. Ultra-pure Sulphuric acid, also known as ACS reagent grade Sulphuric acid, possesses extremely high purity standards and plays a crucial role in various precision and electronics industries.
Properties of ACS reagent grade Sulphuric acid
Ultra-pure Sulphuric acid contains less than 1 part per million (ppm) of any metallic or non-metallic impurities. It has a purity level of at least 99.9999% which is achieved through complex refining and purification processes. Some key properties of ACS reagent grade Sulphuric acid that make it valuable for specialized uses include:
– Free of particulate matter- No solid particles or insoluble precipitates are present which can potentially cause defects in sensitive applications.
– Low heavy metal content- Contains negligible amounts (below 1 ppm) of heavy metals like lead, mercury, arsenic or any other potentially toxic metals.
– Extremely low conductivity- Has high electrical resistivity of 18 MΩ-cm or higher due to an absence of ions that can otherwise induce currents.
– High acid normality- Acidic strength remains close to 100% even after long storage periods without concentration loss allowing for consistent performance.
Uses of Ultra-pure Sulphuric Acid
Semiconductor industry
The production of integrated circuits, computer chips and other microelectronic components demand the use of extremely Ultra-pure Sulphuric Acid chemicals during critical etching and cleaning steps. ACS reagent grade Sulphuric acid meets these stringent purity criteria and is widely used in:
– Wafer cleaning- Removes organic and particulate contamination from silicon wafers without leaving any impurities.
– Etching & plating baths- Forms the base for electronic-grade etch and electroplating solutions used for patterning metallization layers.
– Photoresist stripping- Dissolves photoresist masks after circuit etching without corroding the substrate.
Pharmaceutical industry
Processing operations in the pharmaceutical sector have exacting quality needs. Trace metals can adversely impact drug stability, efficacy and safety. ACS reagent grade Sulphuric acid protects API purity due to its high purity levels and supports applications like:
– Solvent crystallization- Achieves uniform product crystals with no impurities during active drug isolation.
– pH adjustment & processing- Acts as an acidulant for pH control and acidic reactions in drug synthesis and formulation.
– Metal detection tests- Suitable for regular in-line monitoring equipment use to check conformity.
Other key industries
Some other major industries leveraging ACS reagent grade Sulphuric acid include:
– Electronics/LCD manufacturing- Effective cleaner for circuit boards and precision metal parts.
– Bioprocessing equipment- Mitigates contamination risks in bioreactors and downstream processing units.
– Research laboratories- Satisfies stringent contamination control needs for analytical chemistry applications.
Challenges in producing Ultra-pure Sulphuric Acid
Achieving ppm-level purity in Sulphuric acid involves elaborate processing with numerous challenge:
– Feedstock selection- Choice of high-purity sulfate source like subclass A sulfur instead of pyrite/galena to avoid metal impurities.
– Multi-stage distillation- Complex thermal purification in multiple vacuum distillation columns to fractionally separate impurities.
– Electrodialysis treatment- Use of electrodialysis with special ion-exchange membranes to remove ions down to ppb levels.
– Water purification- Ultra filtration with reverse osmosis is deployed to obtain highly purified water for acid manufacturing.
– Post-processing quality checks- Rigorous ion analysis using ICP-MS andTitrimetric methods ensure product meets exacting purity specifications.
– Stringent handling- Careful transportation and storage practices are followed to prevent external recontamination.
The endeavor to attain ppm purity translates to significantly higher production costs ACS reagent grade Sulphuric acid. But it outweighs the business benefits attained through enabled applications.
Ultra-pure Sulphuric acid possessing contamination levels less than 1 ppm has proven indispensable in precision and high-technology industries demanding highest purity standards. Though challenging to manufacture, it provides a solution to protect product quality in pharmaceuticals, electronics and other sectors where even minute impurities can compromise product safety,yield and performance. Advances in purification technology will help overcoming the barriers to meeting the escalating needs for this ultra-clean chemical in specialty applications.
*Note:
1. Source: Coherent Market Insights, Public sources, Desk research
2. We have leveraged AI tools to mine information and compile it
About Author – Vaagisha Singh
Vaagisha brings over three years of expertise as a content editor in the market research domain. Originally a creative writer, she discovered her passion for editing, combining her flair for writing with a meticulous eye for detail. Her ability to craft and refine compelling content makes her an invaluable asset in delivering polished and engaging write-ups. LinkedIn