The price of sulfuric acid is important for many businesses, because sulfuric acid is used to create many common products. Demand is a major factor in determining the price of sulfuric acid, and this primarily comes from manufacturing plants. Sulfuric acid is primarily made from sulfur, so sulfur’s price will be another contributing factor. Products made with sulfuric acid are commonly taxed; if the tax amount changes, this can affect demand, which also will affect price. The cost of shipping sulfuric acid, especially to countries and regions that do not have as much, can be another factor.
While scientists often use sulfuric acid for experiments, manufacturing plants are the biggest users of sulfuric acid. Having a large number of manufacturing plants that use sulfuric acid, especially if their products are in demand, will increase the demand for sulfuric acid. When the demand increases, so does the price of sulfuric acid. Sulfuric acid is used in many common products, so many manufacturing plants will contribute to this overall demand.
Sulfuric acid is made from several different elements, but the main and most expensive element is sulfur. This means the price and availability of sulfur will affect the production and price of the acid. While sulfur can be naturally mined, it is mostly let off during the processing of petroleum, or from other businesses that process substances that naturally have sulfur in them. If these businesses go down or their production is slowed, then sulfur availability goes down, which increases sulfuric acid’s price.
Many of the products made with sulfuric acid may be taxed, depending on the country or region. Normally these taxes are nominal and will not play a major role in the price of sulfuric acid. If the tax drastically increases or decreases, however, this can affect consumers’ demand for the product, which will affect demand for the acid. For example, if tax drastically increases for batteries, then people will buy fewer batteries, meaning battery businesses will not produce as many and less sulfuric acid will be required.
This acid can be made anywhere in the world, but there are many countries and regions that do not produce enough to fulfill consumer demand. These areas must import sulfuric acid from other areas that can produce a higher quantity. For these places, shipping becomes a factor in determining the price of sulfuric acid. If shipping costs and taxes are too high, then businesses may have to buy less sulfuric acid, which decreases its demand and price.