Joshua Ward
Encyclopedia
Joshua Ward was a London pharmacist and an experimental chemist. In 1736, Ward heated saltpeter and as it decomposed the sulfur was oxidized to SO3, which combined with water to produce sulfuric acid
. It was the first practical production of sulfuric acid on a large scale.
Sulfuric acid
Sulfuric acid is a strong mineral acid with the molecular formula . Its historical name is oil of vitriol. Pure sulfuric acid is a highly corrosive, colorless, viscous liquid. The salts of sulfuric acid are called sulfates...
. It was the first practical production of sulfuric acid on a large scale.