page_title: Sulfuric acid
section_title: Electrolyte
hierarchical_section_title: Sulfuric acid / Uses / Electrolyte
caption_attribution_description: English: An acidic drain opener found in a Hardware store.
context_page_description: Sulfuric acid or sulphuric acid, also known as oil of vitriol, is a mineral acid composed of the elements sulfur, oxygen and hydrogen, with molecular formula H₂SO₄. It is a colourless, odourless, and viscous liquid that is soluble in water and is synthesized in reactions that are highly exothermic.
  Its corrosiveness can be mainly ascribed to its strong acidic nature, and, if at a high concentration, its dehydrating properties. It is also hygroscopic, readily absorbing water vapor from the air. Upon contact, sulfuric acid can cause severe chemical burns and even secondary thermal burns; it is very dangerous even at lower concentrations.
  Sulfuric acid is a very important commodity chemical, and a nation's sulfuric acid production is a good indicator of its industrial strength. It is widely produced with different methods, such as contact process, wet sulfuric acid process, lead chamber process and some other methods.
  Sulfuric acid is also a key substance in the chemical industry. It is most commonly used in fertilizer manufacture, but is also important in mineral processing, oil refining, wastewater processing, and chemical synthesis.
context_section_description: Sulfuric acid acts as the electrolyte in lead–acid batteries (lead-acid accumulator):
  At anode:
  Pb + SO
  ₄²⁻ ⇌ PbSO
  ₄ + 2 e⁻
  At cathode:
  PbO
  ₂ + 4 H⁺ + SO
  ₄²⁻ + 2 e⁻ ⇌ PbSO
  ₄ + 2 H₂O
  Overall:
  Pb + PbO
  ₂ + 4 H⁺ + 2 SO
  ₄²⁻ ⇌ 2 PbSO
  ₄ + 2 H₂O
caption: An acidic drain cleaner can be used to dissolve grease, hair and even tissue paper inside water pipes.
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