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Why are chlorine and sulfuric acid used in so many manufacturing processes?

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Dow Chemical Company — chemical industry Dow Chemical plant in South Charleston, West Virginia.

Chlorine and sulfuric acid are fundamental to the chemical industry due to their versatile chemical properties and their roles as essential raw materials or intermediates in a vast array of manufacturing processes.

Sulfuric Acid

Sulfuric acid is the most widely manufactured industrial compound, valued for its strong acidity, dehydrating power, and oxidizing capabilities. Its primary uses include:12
* Fertilizer Production: Approximately 67 percent of sulfuric acid in the United States is used to convert phosphate rock into phosphoric acid for phosphate fertilizers.12
* Chemical Synthesis: It serves as a critical raw material for producing detergents, synthetic resins, dyes, explosives, and various inorganic compounds.32
* Petroleum and Metallurgy: It is used in petroleum refining to improve gasoline octane ratings and in the "pickling" of steel to remove oxidation and scale.132
* Energy Storage: Dilute sulfuric acid acts as the electrolyte in lead-acid batteries.12

Chlorine

Chlorine is highly reactive and is used extensively to introduce chlorine into organic and inorganic compounds. Its industrial utility stems from:4
* Organic Synthesis: It is essential for manufacturing plastics (such as polyvinyl chloride), solvents, antifreeze (glycols), and synthetic rubber.4
* Bleaching and Sterilization: It is widely employed to sterilize water and as a bleaching agent for paper and textiles.4
* Chemical Intermediates: Chlorine is used to produce high-purity hydrochloric acid, titanium tetrachloride for titanium extraction, and various silicon-based materials.4