Sep 5, 2022 03:42 PM
https://spectrum.ieee.org/sulfuric-acid-shortage
INTRO: Look at the periodic table, and think of the elements needed for a prosperous planet powered by renewable energy. Sulfur likely won’t be the first to come to mind.
It probably doesn’t help the yellow element’s noxious reputation to learn that most of the world’s sulfur comes as a byproduct of refining fossil fuels. In a net-zero future, a future where petroleum and natural gas production enter terminal decline and never return to their past carbon-spewing heights, sulfur production will fall away, too.
Therein lies the problem. Sulfur—easily turned into sulfuric acid—is a necessary tool for creating fertilizer and extracting heavy metals from their ores before they can go into batteries, wind turbines, and electric vehicle components. Even as sulfur production is set to fall, sulfuric acid demand is set to rise.
That’s a recipe for an impending crisis, researchers warn in a paper published 21 August in The Geographical Journal.
Today, the world uses 246 million tonnes of sulfuric acid in a year. The researchers project that number might increase to 400 million tonnes by 2040.
Sulfuric acid is necessary for extracting heavy metals such as nickel, cobalt, and rare earths for batteries, magnets, and other renewable energy technologies. The world’s needs are going up—from 246 million tonnes today to 400 million tonnes by 2040—but the supply could be drying out. Sulfur is most cheaply obtained as a byproduct of petroleum refineries.
That’s because, when it comes to renewable energy, sulfuric acid has a very critical use. Extracting heavy metals, such as nickel, cobalt, and rare earths, relies on chemical processes that use sulfuric acid to separate the metals from their ores. Those heavy metals are key elements in lithium-ion batteries, electric motors, and other technologies crucial for the renewable transition.
Sulfur has other roles, too... (MORE - details)
INTRO: Look at the periodic table, and think of the elements needed for a prosperous planet powered by renewable energy. Sulfur likely won’t be the first to come to mind.
It probably doesn’t help the yellow element’s noxious reputation to learn that most of the world’s sulfur comes as a byproduct of refining fossil fuels. In a net-zero future, a future where petroleum and natural gas production enter terminal decline and never return to their past carbon-spewing heights, sulfur production will fall away, too.
Therein lies the problem. Sulfur—easily turned into sulfuric acid—is a necessary tool for creating fertilizer and extracting heavy metals from their ores before they can go into batteries, wind turbines, and electric vehicle components. Even as sulfur production is set to fall, sulfuric acid demand is set to rise.
That’s a recipe for an impending crisis, researchers warn in a paper published 21 August in The Geographical Journal.
Today, the world uses 246 million tonnes of sulfuric acid in a year. The researchers project that number might increase to 400 million tonnes by 2040.
Sulfuric acid is necessary for extracting heavy metals such as nickel, cobalt, and rare earths for batteries, magnets, and other renewable energy technologies. The world’s needs are going up—from 246 million tonnes today to 400 million tonnes by 2040—but the supply could be drying out. Sulfur is most cheaply obtained as a byproduct of petroleum refineries.
That’s because, when it comes to renewable energy, sulfuric acid has a very critical use. Extracting heavy metals, such as nickel, cobalt, and rare earths, relies on chemical processes that use sulfuric acid to separate the metals from their ores. Those heavy metals are key elements in lithium-ion batteries, electric motors, and other technologies crucial for the renewable transition.
Sulfur has other roles, too... (MORE - details)