Sulfur Age

Fig. 32. NOx removal performance of several Zr02-Ti02 catalysts after the sulfur aging test.

K/Pt/Ti02 K/Pt/ZT70 K/Pt/Zr02 Fig. 33. The state of potassium over the sulfur-aged catalysts. 

The catalyst deactivation model developed in this paper accounts for the nonsteady-state activity of commercial catalysts measured using accelerated sulfur aging experi-... 

Figure 6. Effect of sand additions on compression strength of sulfur aged 1 day...

Le roi du sol remained a minor industry until industrial demand for sulfuric acid exploded in the early 19 century. Sulfuric acid became the dominant chemical in the entire world, making this era the Sulfur Age. ... 

The cultural development of mankind has passed through many chemical ages. Earlier fabulous times were described as a Golden Age, followed by the Silver Age. In ancient times, there was a Copper Age, Bronze Age and an Iron Age. Terminology changed, so that the 18 and 19 centuries became known as the Industrial Age. Keeping with the chemical tradition, the more proper name should have been the Sulfur Age, for without sulfuric acid it would never have happened. 

The Leblanc process was the beginning of the modem chemical industry. What followed was the first global chemical market. Sulfuric acid, more so than the alkali itself, was the yellow heart of this worldly enterprise. During the 20 century, the demand for sulfur (in all forms) has increased from 1.4 million tonnes in 1901 to 59.3 million tonnes in 2000, and the dominant market has remained the production of sulfuric acid, especially for the phosphate industry. This material was the quintessence of the Industrial Age, or, more correctly, the Sulfur Age, and continues to be so today as production surpassed 70 million metric tonnes in 2011. 

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