PRODUCTION OF HYDROCHLORIC ACID

PROCESS 1
Salt- Sulfuric Acid Process
Hydrochloric or muriatic acid is generally made by the action of Sulphuric acid on common salt. The
process may be represented by the equation:

2 + 2 4 2 4 + 2
Thus, faulty assumptions led to processes designed with two reaction steps operated batch wise:

1) + 2 4 4 +
2) 4 + 2 4 +
Equation 1 shows the formation of Hydrochloric acid from the endothermic reaction of Salt and Sulfuric
Acid. Equation 2 is between salt and Sodium Hydrogen Sulfate which produce Sodium Sulfate as salt cake.
This reaction is difficult to carry out. Being endothermic, this reaction requires extensive heat to promote it,
and it is normally run at temperatures in the range of 550 to 600 C.
In order to design an improved process, a better understanding of the chemistry is required. Knowledge of
the reaction mechanism is absolutely necessary. What actually takes place in the reaction of sulfuric acid
with salt can be summarized by the following equations:

3) T= 150oC 22 4 + 2 24 + 2 = 1.76
4) T=240-250oC 24 2 2 7 + 2 = 20.4
5) T=460oC 2 2 7 2 4 + 3 = 34.85
6) 2 + 3 2 4 = 41.66

General Equation:

+ + +

These requirements can be achieved in a practical process by providing for the counter current flow of
gases and solids in a reaction chamber. Sulfuric acid which exits the RT-101 with the gaseous products is
condensed and returned to the feed.
The reactants sulfuric acid and salt in a molar ratio of about one to one are fed to the kiln (RT-100) at the
far left, that is, at the upper end of the kiln. As the kiln rotates, the solids slowly move down the kiln toward
the right. A burner is located at the right or lower end of the kiln (RT-100). Hot combustion gases pass
upward through the kiln (RT-100) to the gas exit port located at the left end.
As the gaseous and solid streams flow counter current to each other, they undergo the reactions shown in
equations 3 and 6. Beginning at the far right, the combustion gases are sufficiently hot to decompose
sodium Pyrosulfate to produce sodium sulfate and sulfur trioxide. The sodium sulfate is discharged from the
kiln (RT-101) through a port at the far right end, and the Sulfur Trioxide enters the gas stream which is
moving to the left. Somewhere towards the middle of the kiln (RT-100), sodium hydrogen sulfate is
decomposed to give sodium Pyrosulfate and water vapor. The solid Pyrosulfate moves toward the right
while the Water vapor flows with the combustion gases upwards towards the left. In the left hand section of
the kiln (RT-100), water vapor and sulfur trioxide combine to form sulfuric acid. Acid in the feed combines
with the salt to form hydrogen chloride and sodium hydrogen sulfate. The solid sodium hydrogen sulfate
moves to the right while the hydrogen chloride escapes with the combustion gases through the vent in the
left end of the kiln (RT-100) and allowed to pass into a packed tower (A-200). A spray of water also come
down the tower and dissolves the vapour of hydrogen chloride to form hydrochloric acid. In this process
adiabatic absorption is used to produce high strength acid (about 31% concentrate). The sodium sulfate
product from the RT-100 is cooled (C-200), crushed (CR-200), screened (S-100) and pulverized (P-100) as
need be.
TAG NAME NAME OF EQUIPMENT DESCRIPTION
T-100 SULFURIC ACID STORAGE TANK Storage tank for our Raw Materials.

T-101 SODIUM CHLORIDE STORAGE Storage tank for our Raw Materials.
TANK
RT-100 ROTARY KILN Reaction Chamber used for the
production of HCl gas and unreacted
Sulfuric Acid and by-product Sodium
Sulfate.
C-200 COOLER Use to cool Sodium Sulfate.
CR-200 CRUSHER Use to crush Sodium Sulfate into
small pieces.
S-100 SCREENER Use to separate crushed Sodium
Sulfate into even finer grades, coming
closer to an end product.
P-100 PULVERIZER Use to pulverize Sodium Sulfate
T-200 SODIUM SULFATE STORAGE TANK After pulverizing, it is now stored to
the Storage tank.
Q-300 QUENCHER Use to separate HCl gas and
unreacted Sulfuric Acid.
T-300 WATER STORAGE TANK Use to store water use in Chiller.
C-300 CHILLER To produce chilled water used in
Quencher and Cooler of gases.
C-100 CHILLER To cool down the unreacted Sulfuric
Acid for recycle.
T-400 WATER STORAGE TANK Use to store water as contacting liquid
for the Gas Absorber.
C-301 COOL Use to cool HCl gas after quenching
process.
A-200 GAS ABSORBER (PACKED) To eliminate Off-gases and to liquefy
HCl gas. Water is used as contacting
agent.
T-401 HCl STORAGE TANK To store the final product, liquid HCl.