Phuma kwi-oyile negesi! Kodwa uyifumana phi isulfure? | Izazinzulu4Ikamva AT

nguMartin Auer

Sonke isisombululo sidala iingxaki ezintsha. Ukuze silawule ingxaki yemozulu, kufuneka siyeke ukutshisa amalahle, i-oyile negesi ngokukhawuleza. Kodwa ioli kunye negesi yendalo ngokuqhelekileyo iqulethe i-1 ukuya kwisi-3 ekhulwini sesulfure. Kwaye le sulfure iyafuneka. Okukuthi kwimveliso yezichumisi ze-phosphate kunye nokutsalwa kweentsimbi ezifunekayo kubuchwephesha obutsha obuluhlaza, ukusuka kwiinkqubo ze-photovoltaic ukuya kwiibhetri zezithuthi zombane. 

Ihlabathi ngoku lisebenzisa i-246 yezigidi zeetoni ze-asidi ye-sulfuric ngonyaka. Ngaphezu kwama-80 ekhulwini esalfure esetyenziswa ehlabathini lonke ivela kumafutha efosili. I-Sulfur okwangoku yimveliso yenkunkuma evela ekucocweni kweemveliso zefosili ukunqanda ukukhutshwa kwesulfure dioxide ebangela imvula eneasidi. Ukuphelisa la mafutha kuya kunciphisa kakhulu unikezelo lwesulfure, ngelixa imfuno iya kunyuka. 

UMark Maslin nguNjingalwazi weNzululwazi yeNkqubo yoMhlaba kwiKholeji yeYunivesithi yaseLondon. Isifundo esaqhutywa phantsi kolwalathiso lwakhe[1] ifumanise ukuba ukukhutshwa kwefosili efunekayo ukufikelela kwi-net-zero ekujoliswe kuyo kuya kuphoswa ukuya kuthi ga kwi-2040 yezigidi zeetoni zesulfure ngo-320, ngaphezu kokuba sisisebenzisa rhoqo ngonyaka namhlanje. Oku kungakhokelela ekwenyukeni kwexabiso leasidi yesulfuric. La maxabiso anokufunxwa lula ngamashishini “aluhlaza” anengeniso ephezulu kunangabavelisi bezichumiso. Oku kuya kwenza ukuba izichumisi zibe neendleko eziphezulu kwaye ukutya kubize kakhulu. Abavelisi abancinci kumazwe ahluphekayo ngakumbi banokufikelela kwisichumiso esincinci kwaye izivuno zabo ziyakwehla.

Isulphur ifumaneka kwiimveliso ezininzi, ukusuka kumavili emoto ukuya ephepheni kunye nesepha yokuhlamba impahla. Kodwa ukusetyenziswa kwayo okubaluleke kakhulu kumashishini ekhemikhali, apho i-asidi ye-sulfuric isetyenziselwa ukudiliza uluhlu olubanzi lwezinto. 

Ukukhula ngokukhawuleza kobuchwepheshe bekhabhoni ephantsi njengeebhetri ezisebenza kakhulu, iinjini zemoto ezilula okanye iipaneli zelanga ziya kukhokelela ekwandeni kwemigodi yamaminerali, ngakumbi i-ores equkethe i-cobalt kunye ne-nickel. Imfuno ye-cobalt inganyuka nge-2 ipesenti ngo-2050, i-nickel ngama-460 ekhulwini kunye ne-neodymium ngama-99 ekhulwini. Zonke ezi zinyithi kule mihla zitsalwa kusetyenziswa isixa esikhulu se-asidi ye-sulfuric.
Ukwanda kwabemi behlabathi kunye nokutshintsha kwendlela yokutya kuya kwandisa imfuno ye-sulfuric acid kwishishini lezichumisi.

Ngelixa kukho unikezelo oluninzi lweeminerali zesulfate, i-iron sulphides kunye ne-elemental sulphur, kubandakanywa namatye entaba-mlilo, umgodi kuya kufuneka kwandiswe kakhulu ukuzikhupha. Ukuguqula i-sulfates kwisulfure kufuna amandla amaninzi kwaye kubangela ukukhutshwa okukhulu kwe-CO2 kunye neendlela zangoku. Ukukhutshwa kunye nokulungiswa kweeminerali zesulfure kunye ne-sulfide kunokuba ngumthombo womoya, umhlaba kunye nongcoliseko lwamanzi, i-acidify ebusweni kunye namanzi aphantsi komhlaba, kunye nokukhupha i-toxins efana ne-arsenic, i-thallium kunye ne-mercury. Kwaye ukumbiwa kwemigodi kusoloko kunxulunyaniswa neengxaki zamalungelo oluntu.

ukurisayikilishwa kunye nokusungula izinto ezintsha

Ngoko ke imithombo emitsha yesalfure engaphumi kumafutha efosili kufuneka kufunyanwe. Ukongeza, imfuno yesulfure kufuneka incitshiswe ngokurisayikilishwa kunye nangeenkqubo ezintsha zamashishini ezisebenzisa iasidi yesulfure encinci.

Ukubuyisela iiphosphates kumanzi amdaka kunye nokuwalungisa kwisichumiso kuya kunciphisa imfuneko yokusebenzisa iasidi yesulfuric ukucubungula amatye ephosphate. Oku kuya kunceda, kwelinye icala, ukulondoloza unikezelo olulinganiselweyo lwe<em>phosphate rock kwaye, kwelinye icala, ukunciphisa ukuchumisa okugqithisileyo kwemithombo yamanzi. Iintyatyambo ze-algal ezibangelwa kukuchumisa ngokugqithisileyo zikhokelela ekunqongophelweni kweoksijini, ukufunxa iintlanzi kunye nezityalo. 

Ukurisayikilisha iibhetri ezininzi ze-lithium nako kunganceda ukusombulula ingxaki. Ukuphuhlisa iibhetri kunye neenjini ezisebenzisa iintsimbi ezimbalwa ezinqabileyo nako kunganciphisa imfuno ye-asidi yesulfuric.

Ukugcina amandla ahlaziyekayo ngaphandle kokusetyenziswa kweebhetri, ngokusebenzisa ubugcisa obufana nokusebenzisa umoya ocinezelweyo okanye umxhuzulane okanye amandla e-kinetic we-flywheels kunye nezinye izinto ezintsha, kunokunciphisa zombini i-asidi ye-sulfuric kunye neemfuno zamafutha e-fossil kunye nokuqhuba i-decarbonization. Kwixesha elizayo, iibhaktheriya zinokusetyenziselwa ukukhupha isulfure kwiisulfates.

Imigaqo-nkqubo yesizwe neyezizwe ngezizwe ke ngoko kufuneka ithathele ingqalelo ukunqongophala kwesulfure kwixesha elizayo xa kucwangciswa i-decarbonisation, ngokukhuthaza ukurisayikilishwa kunye nokufumana eminye imithombo eneendleko eziphantsi ezinokwenzeka zentlalo nezokusingqongileyo.

Ifoto yeqweqwe: Prasanta Kr Dutta phezu Unsplash

Iphawulwe: nguFabian Schipfer

[1]    IMaslin, M., Van Heerde, L. & Day, S. (2022) Isulfure: Ingxaki enokubakho yezixhobo enokuthi icinezele itekhnoloji eluhlaza kwaye isoyikise ukhuseleko lokutya njengoko umhlaba udecarbonise. The Geographical Journal, 00, 1-8. Kwi-Intanethi: https://rgs-ibg.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/geoj.12475

Okanye: https://theconversation.com/sulfuric-acid-the-next-resource-crisis-that-could-stifle-green-tech-and-threaten-food-security-186765