Sulfuric acid in Venus' atmosphere?

[MDJH]

According to Carl Sagan's "heaven and hell" documentary, Venus has clouds made of concentrated sulfuric acid. Wouldn't that react with the metal in the spacecrafts they used for exploring Venus?

[insane_alien]

yes, but you can treat metals so that they do not react with acid. the process is called passivation. its a common process.

[John Cuthber]

Ortyou can use glass or teflon which don't react. Or platinum; you only need a thin layer to coat the stuff with.

[MDJH]

yes, but you can treat metals so that they do not react with acid. the process is called passivation. its a common process.

So were the probes that found the acid passivated beforehand? If so, does that suggest that they suspected it was sulfuric acid before they even sent the probes?

[insane_alien]

So were the probes that found the acid passivated beforehand? If so, does that suggest that they suspected it was sulfuric acid before they even sent the probes?

 

well, they actually KNEW it was sulphuric acid before they sent the probes.

 

you can tell a lot about somethings composition by the light it reflects.

[Moontanman]

Sulfuric acid on Venus might be connected with life on that planet as well.

 

http://www.accessexcellence.org/WN/SUA09/venus297.php

 

"It's possible that Venus could have tiny microbes in its cloud particles, or that some form of Venusian life could have developed by using ultraviolet light much like Earth's plants use sunlight to make food. There could even be a non-carbon-based equivalent to lichens atop Venus' five-mile-high volcanoes, perhaps feeding on sulfur gases," he said.

 

http://www.daviddarling.info/encyclopedia/V/Venuslife.html

 

One possibility is that microbes living in the Venusian clouds could be combining sulfur dioxide with carbon monoxide and possibly hydrogen sulphide or carbonyl sulphide in a metabolism similar to that of some early terrestrial microorganisms.

 

So maybe the sulfuric acid is not as big a deal as we think...