Why sulphuric acid is used in preparation of hcl?
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H2SO4 can be effectively concentrated to very high concentrations. It also delivers 2 protons for every molecule, so its acidic power is very high. Conc. H2SO4 has dehydrating properties, so it can not only function as an acid, but also as a dehydrating agent in the synthesis of other acids.
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In preparations that call for concentrated sulfuric acid, it usually has the role of trapping moisture. If dilute sulfuric acid is used, then nitric or hydrochloric acid may still be produced (since they boil more readily than the sulfuric acid), but they will contain water. Specifically, hydrochloric acid has an azeotropic concentration somewhere around 20%, while for nitric acid it’s 68%. But if these are distilled from concentrated sulfuric acid then relatively dry hydrochloric acid, or concentrated nitric acid, can be obtained - since the water is left behind.
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