Sulfuric Acid Piping Slope

[IHQ22]

Good day all,

I am trying to find a reference or good practice for the slope of a sulfuric acid line. Do you guys have any advice?

Thank you all for your help!

 

[mk3223]

No aware of a pipe slope needed for the sulfuric acid process line.
What's the special about the process or application of the acid system?

 

[Latexman]

Why is a slope desired? What is it’s function?

Good luck,
Latexman

Engineers helping Engineers

 

[MJCronin]

Piping design for concentrated(93%) sulfuric acid should include the following:

1) Heavy walled carbon steel (Sched 80 or greater) should have CA of 0.125" recommended. Stainless stell piping and teflon lined piping also acceptable

2) Modest design velocity (3.5 fps only)

3) Periodic inspection for hydrogen grooving (at the 12 o-clock position) -- say every 3 to 5 years

No special requirements for slope ...... as I recall

https://info.veolianorthamerica.com...industrial/sulfuric-acid-push-information.pdf

MJCronin
Sr. Process Engineer

 

[IHQ22]

Thanks for the info. What I am looking for is to slope the pipe so it drains back to the tank. For a water line, you would normally look at 1/4" per 1'. I was wondering if there is an acid equivalent.

Thanks.

 

[Latexman]

What concentration?

What temperature?

Conc. sulfuric acid at 25[sup]o[/sup] C has a viscosity 25X that of water. I'm pretty sure it is a Newtonian fluid, like water.

Any solids present?

Good luck,
Latexman

Engineers helping Engineers

 

[EdStainless]

More slope is good, just remember that if you get some hydrogen it will travel up, and it may collect.
Watch out where that is in your system.

= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =
P.E. Metallurgy, Plymouth Tube

 

[IHQ22]

Thank you all for the pointers!

Cheers,

IHQ22

 

[Iomcube]

For 98% H2SO4 at ambient temperature we maintain pipe sizing / slopes such that fluid speed is no more than 0.9m/s