High sulfuric acid prices – what impact does this have on plants that produce acid using sulfur, sulfur concentrate, and smelting processes?
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Since the beginning of this year, sulfur prices have risen sharply, and as agricultural product prices increased, sulfuric acid prices also rose significantly. The main raw materials for acid production are sulfur, sulfur concentrate, and SO2 recovered from smelting flue gases. The question is: given the current prices of raw materials and products, which of these three methods for acid production is most advantageous? How much is the cost difference? Discussion is welcome.
Simply in terms of raw material and product prices, it is undoubtedly most advantageous to produce acid from smelting flue gas.
Should it also be taken into account that the decline in zinc prices means that acid production using zinc concentrate flue gas is less efficient compared to using pyrite for this purpose? However, this situation is very unstable. Currently, the prices of non-ferrous metals are fluctuating greatly. As far as I know, many cases involve the use of pyrite instead of raw zinc concentrate, and there are also regional differences in this regard
Without a doubt, smelting to produce acid is the most advantageous option, followed by sulfur concentrate, and then sulfur itself. The greatest advantage of using smelting for acid production is its advantages in terms of smelting processes; as long as the prices of non-ferrous metals remain high, this method will always have an edge. Pyrite will always be a major source of sulfuric acid production, and it certainly performs well; even when the prices of non-ferrous metals and sulfuric acid fall, it remains a key player in this industry. Sulfur-based acid production is always reactive to market conditions: when the price of sulfuric acid rises, its production increases sharply, but its price also soars. However, when the price of sulfuric acid drops significantly, there is little demand for it in the market. At present, although the price of sulfuric acid is high, the price of sulfur is also high as well; whether it is cost-effective depends on the local price situation.
Both the processes of producing acid from zinc concentrate and those using pyrite for this purpose involve facilities with a capacity of less than 20,000 tons. Large-scale zinc acid production plants and mines have agreements in place; the price of zinc concentrate varies according to fluctuations in the zinc market price. Therefore, this has little impact on the smelting process, but the production of sulfuric acid results in a profit.