# Sulphuric acid: Feedstocks

How a ten-fold sulphur swing decides who wins

Source page: https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/sulphuric_acid/feedstocks/

What this tab covers What it is made from and what it feeds: the raw materials and energy per tonne with their share of cost (linked to the commodity table), who is low-cost and why, and the chemicals made from it.

Acid is made from sulphur, from smelter SO2 or from pyrite. Sulphur burners pay the world sulphur price, which can swing ten-fold, while smelter acid carries no feedstock cost but cannot respond to demand. This decides who is competitive: when sulphur is dear, smelter acid from Japan, Korea, Peru and Europe sets the price; when sulphur is cheap, burners at the user's site win because acid costs more to ship than sulphur.

#### Inputs per tonne

| Input | Quantity per tonne | Role | Share of cost | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| [S Sulfur](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/sulfur/) | 0.33 t per t H2SO4 | SO2 source for burner plants | about 70-80% of cash cost at 2025-26 sulphur prices (indicative) | Stoichiometry; USGS MCS 2026 |
| [Cu Copper](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/copper/) | about 1 t acid per t concentrate (indicative) | by-product SO2 | near zero; cost borne by smelting | Indicative |
| [Zn Zinc](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/zinc/) | about 0.9-1 t acid per t concentrate (indicative) | by-product SO2 | near zero | Indicative |
| **Pyrite** | about 0.7-0.8 t per t acid (indicative) | SO2 source in China | not published | Indicative |
| [V Vanadium](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/vanadium/) | small; catalyst lasts years | SO2 oxidation | under 1% (indicative) | USGS MCS 2026 notes caesium-promoted catalysts in high-purity acid |

#### Who is low-cost, and why

Smelter acid is the lowest-cost supply and is sold at whatever price clears the market. Among burners, those with captive or contract sulphur (Morocco, Saudi Arabia, the US Gulf) are cheapest; importers buying spot sulphur in Asia, Brazil and Indonesia sit at the top of the curve.

#### Raw materials on the commodity table
[S Sulfur](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/sulfur/)[Cu Copper](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/copper/)[Zn Zinc](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/zinc/)

#### What it is made into

| Product | Note |
|---|---|
| [H3PO4 Phosphoric acid](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/phosphoric_acid/) | largest single use |
| [DAP DAP and MAP](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/dap_map/) | through phosphoric acid |
| [AS Ammonium sulphate](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/ammonium_sulphate/) | acid plus ammonia, or caprolactam by-product |
| [TiO2 Titanium dioxide](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/titanium_dioxide/) | sulphate route uses about 3.5-4 t acid per t TiO2 |
| [HF Hydrofluoric acid](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/hydrofluoric_acid/) | about 2.6 t acid per t HF |
| [CPL Caprolactam](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/caprolactam/) | oleum in the Beckmann rearrangement |
| [CAM Battery cathode materials](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/cathode_materials/) | LFP via phosphoric acid; nickel and cobalt sulphates |
| [LAB Linear alkylbenzene](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/lab/) | sulphonation to LAS detergents |
| [VSF Viscose fibre](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/viscose/) | spinning bath acid |

## Other sections

- [Summary](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/sulphuric_acid/index.md)
- [Overview](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/sulphuric_acid/overview/index.md)
- [Correlation](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/sulphuric_acid/correlation/index.md)
- [Production route](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/sulphuric_acid/routes/index.md)
- [Production](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/sulphuric_acid/production/index.md)
- [Cycles](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/sulphuric_acid/cycles/index.md)
- [Trading](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/sulphuric_acid/trading/index.md)
- [Movement](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/sulphuric_acid/movement/index.md)
- [Regulation](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/sulphuric_acid/regulation/index.md)
- [Characteristics](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/sulphuric_acid/characteristics/index.md)
- [Emissions](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/sulphuric_acid/emissions/index.md)
- [Relationships](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/sulphuric_acid/links/index.md)