(2019 Archived) Sequel on the Direct Usage of Atmospheric Sulphuric Acid and Hydrogen Sulphide for Industry
Having written this in 2019, and originally published in 2021.. when I was 15 and 17, there would be inaccuracies that I would correct here. Having removed it, I'm publishing again, for sake of completion so that the efforts wouldn't have gone to vain:
So far, we’ve considered Sulphuric acid afloat in the Venusian atmosphere as a threat to Venusian civilization. That was until we’ve found ways of using Venusian Sulphuric acid to our advantage, by getting certain things out of it. But, I’ve never got to tell how industrially-good Sulphuric acid in itself actually is.
You
could possibly find Sulphuric acid in the manufacturing-of [59]:
1. Fertilizer.
2. Pharmaceuticals.
3. Battery
Acid.
4. Cellulose
Fibres.
5. Colouring
Agents.
6. Amino
Acid Intermediates.
7. Oxidizing
Agents.
8. Dehydrating
Agents.
9. Detergents.
...
And the following industrial processes too [59]:
10. Paper
Bleaching.
11. Sugar
Bleaching.
12. Water
Treatment.
13. Steel
Manufacturing.
For
the context of Venus, I most appreciate Sulphuric acid as Battery Acid. More
batteries means more stored power! There would be similar appreciation of
Sulphuric acid as a dehydrating and oxidizing agent; as it could be used in a
multitude of reactions, this way. It is also acts as catalysts and inhibitors
for a miscellany of chemical reactions – organic reactions in particular.
For
example: Sulphuric acid acts as a catalyst in the organic reaction known as
Etherification, which converts Alcohols into Ethers. Sulphuric acid first acts
as a Protonating agent and then a Dehydrating agent, in this process. It
speeds-up this reaction, thus giving a greater yield of Ether [60]. Many similar reactions, at mass industrial
scales could be done utilizing Venusian material.
One
such example would be the acid-catalysed hydration of alkenes into alcohols:
Either by using Zubrin’s Methane-Water production methodology, the
Fischer-Tropsch Process or any similar mean, we found-out that we could
mass-produce Methane, an alkane, on Venus. Similarly, we could use our know-how
to brew more varieties of alkanes from the Venusian atmosphere. These alkanes
could be converted into their sister alkenes, perhaps through
dehydrogenization, which in-turn could be converted into their respective
alcohols via acid-catalysed hydration. The alkenes have a wide repertoire of
usages, but it’s the alcohols which I’d like to underscore for now. The
alcohols are efficient and clean fuels, and play quite a versatile role in
chemical industry. Say that we were to somehow obtain ethene from the Venusian
circumstances, most-likely from brewed-ethane; it could be converted to ethanol
under the influence of diluted Sulphuric acid, which is a good reagent for the
hydration of alkenes. Again, ethanol burns cleanly into Carbon Dioxide, Water
and lots of energy – which makes it a great fuel. Similarly, it’s great as an
antiseptic and versatile as a solvent.
Another
example would be the Hydration of Alkynes into their respective Aldehydes and
Ketones, which would ideally be done with a Mercuric presence and the
room-temperatures of 60◦C a few kilometres below, and for the dehydration of
alcohols back to their respective alkenes, and et cetera.
Similarly,
Sulphuric acid could be used to produce Metal Sulphates, which could have
industrial value. For example, Magnesium extracted from Venusian Basalt could
be reacted with atmospheric Sulphuric acid to form Magnesium Sulphate; better
known as (14) Epsom salts when hydrated and crystalline, which could be used
as an exfoliant, a Magnesium supplement for plants, and when dehydrated – a
desiccant [63].
Enough
of Sulphuric acid-based in the Venusian chemical industry; couldn’t it be used
elsewhere? Well, I believe there is – in the most unlikely place – the Venusian
textile industry! You see, there’s the synthetic textile fibre named (15) Rayon,
which I like to talk about: You see, wood cellulose could be dissolved in a
thick blue-liquid named Copper (II) Tetra Amine. After introducing Sulphuric acid to the mix,
we get the Rayon fibres. But why it’s so important is that it’s quite good for
a semi-synthetic textile – It could even rival silk for drape and lustre [59]!
Moreover, Rayon could be quite easily dye and simply ‘soft, cool and smooth’.
You see, Rayon isn’t much of an insulator to body-heat – which means that it’s
good for use in hot-humid climates. I would typically describe the Venusian
cloud-cities as ‘rather temperate’; but, is seems just tropical enough
considering that the outside temperatures would range from 30-40◦C. Rayon would
be the ideal textile, which would fit ever-so-perfectly with cloud-city niche
and climate – Another good use of atmospheric Sulphuric acid! However, while we
triumph over this suspended acid, let’s take the time to acknowledge yet
another component of the Venusian atmosphere – Hydrogen Sulphide (H2S). So far, we’ve seen this substance merely as a
Hydrogen source and in the Claus process. But, there’s much more to the
industrial functions of Hydrogen Sulphide, than meets the eye: For example it’s
used in Nickel and Manganese Purification and the Treatment of Metallic
Surfaces[61]. Moreover, it could be used in the production of
[61]:
1. Dyes.
2. Inorganic
Sulphides.
3. Metallic
Sulphides.
4. Bio-organic
Compounds.
5. Plastic
Additives.
6. Pharmaceuticals.
7. Agricultural
disinfectants.
Achinthya Nanayakkara (31.03.2025)
Originally written - 2019
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