Aluminium sulfacetate
Aluminium sulfacetate is a mixture of aluminium salts dissolved in water with
Uses
It is an evenly balanced mixture of aluminium sulfate and aluminium acetate. It can be used as a mordant, which is a substance used to set dyes on fabrics that typically contains a polyvalent metal ion like aluminium or iron, In mixtures with basic aluminium diacetate or aluminium sulfacetate, aluminium triacetate has been used as a mordant with alizarin dye. In 1899, Albert Ganswindt recommended that the use of impure sulfacetates that are empyreumatic liquids "should be abandoned" in favour of pure preparations. Empyreuma is an obsolete chemical and medical term referring to "the smell and taste associated with burning vegetable and animal matter", and likely results in this case from the use of pyroligneous acid (wood acid) or wood acid lime in the preparation of the mordant.
Ammonium sulfate
Ammonium sulfate (American English and international scientific usage; ammonium sulphate in British English); (NH4)2SO4, is an inorganic salt with a number of commercial uses. The most common use is as a soil fertilizer. It contains 21% nitrogen and 24% sulfur.
Uses
The primary use of ammonium sulfate is as a fertilizer for alkaline soils. In the soil the ammonium ion is released and forms a small amount of acid, lowering the pH balance of the soil, while contributing essential nitrogen for plant growth. The main disadvantage to the use of ammonium sulfate is its low nitrogen content relative to ammonium nitrate, which elevates transportation costs.
It is also used as an agricultural spray adjuvant for water-soluble insecticides, herbicides, and fungicides. There, it functions to bind iron and calcium cations that are present in both well water and plant cells. It is particularly effective as an adjuvant for 2,4-D (amine), glyphosate, and glufosinate herbicides.
Copper(II) sulfate
Copper(II) sulfate, also known as copper sulphate, are the inorganic compounds with the chemical formula CuSO4(H2O)x, where x can range from 0 to 5. The pentahydrate (x = 5) is the most common form. Older names for this compound include blue vitriol, bluestone,vitriol of copper, and Roman vitriol.
The pentahydrate (CuSO4·5H2O), the most commonly encountered salt, is bright blue. It exothermically dissolves in water to give the aquo complex [Cu(H2O)6]2+, which has octahedral molecular geometry. The structure of the solid pentahydrate reveals a polymeric structure wherein copper is again octahedral but bound to four water ligands. The Cu(II)(H2O)4 centers are interconnected by sulfate anions to form chains. Anhydrous copper sulfate is a light grey powder.
Ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA)
Ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA), also known by several other names, is a chemical used for both industrial and medical purposes. It was synthesised for the first time in 1935 by Ferdinand Münz.
It is an aminopolycarboxylic acid and a colourless, water-soluble solid. Its conjugate base is ethylenediaminetetraacetate. It is widely used to dissolve limescale. Its usefulness arises because of its role as a hexadentate ("six-toothed") ligand and chelating agent, i.e., its ability to sequester metal ions such as Ca2+ and Fe3+. After being bound by EDTA into a metal complex, metal ions remain in solution but exhibit diminished reactivity. EDTA is produced as several salts, notably disodium EDTA, calcium disodium EDTA, and tetrasodium EDTA (typically as the hydrate).
Iron(III) sulfate
Iron(III) sulfate (or ferric sulfate), is the chemical compound with the formula Fe2(SO4)3. Usually yellow, it is a salt and soluble in water. A variety of hydrates are also known. Solutions are used in dyeing as a mordant, and as a coagulant for industrial wastes. It is also used in pigments, and in pickling baths for aluminum and steel.
Production
Generally, ferric sulfate is used as a solution generated from iron wastes. The actual speciation is vague but its applications do not demand high purity materials.
Iron(III) sulfate is often generated as a solution rather than being isolated as a solid. It is produced on a large scale by treating sulfuric acid, a hot solution of ferrous sulfate, and an oxidizing agent. Typical oxidizing agents include chlorine, nitric acid and hydrogen peroxide.
- 2 FeSO4 + H2SO4 + H2O2 → Fe2(SO4)3 + 2 H2O
Sodium Hydrosulfite
Sodium dithionite (also known as sodium hydrosulfite) is a white crystalline powder with a weak sulfurous odor. Although it is stable in the absence of air, it decomposes in hot water and in acid solutions.
Structure
Raman spectroscopy and single-crystal X-ray diffraction studies reveal that the geometry of the dithionite anion is flexible. The dithionite dianion has C 2 symmetry, with almost eclipsed with a 16° O-S-S-O torsional angle. In the dihydrated form the dithionite anion has a shorter S-S bond length and a gauche 56° O-S-S-O torsional angle.
A weak S-S bond is indicated by the S-S distance of 239 pm. Because this bond is fragile, the dithionite anion dissociates in solution into the [SO2]− radical anion, as has been confirmed by EPR spectroscopy. It is also observed that 35S undergoes rapid exchange between S2O42− and SO2 in neutral or acidic solution, consistent with the weak S-S bond in the anion.
Preparation
Sodium dithionite is produced industrially by reduction of sulfur dioxide. Several methods are employed, including reduction with zinc powder, sodium borohydride, and formate. Approximately 300,000 tons were produced in 1990.
Sodium Hydrosulfite
Sodium dithionite (also known as sodium hydrosulfite) is a white crystalline powder with a weak sulfurous odor. Although it is stable in the absence of air, it decomposes in hot water and in acid solutions.
Structure
Raman spectroscopy and single-crystal X-ray diffraction studies reveal that the geometry of the dithionite anion is flexible. The dithionite dianion has C 2 symmetry, with almost eclipsed with a 16° O-S-S-O torsional angle. In the dihydrated form the dithionite anion has a shorter S-S bond length and a gauche 56° O-S-S-O torsional angle.
A weak S-S bond is indicated by the S-S distance of 239 pm. Because this bond is fragile, the dithionite anion dissociates in solution into the [SO2]− radical anion, as has been confirmed by EPR spectroscopy. It is also observed that 35S undergoes rapid exchange between S2O42− and SO2 in neutral or acidic solution, consistent with the weak S-S bond in the anion.
Preparation
Sodium dithionite is produced industrially by reduction of sulfur dioxide. Several methods are employed, including reduction with zinc powder, sodium borohydride, and formate. Approximately 300,000 tons were produced in 1990.
Sodium metabisulfite
Sodium metabisulfite or sodium pyrosulfite (IUPAC spelling; Br. E. sodium metabisulphite or sodium pyrosulphite) is an inorganic compound of chemical formula Na2S2O5. The substance is sometimes referred to as disodium metabisulfite. It is used as a disinfectant, antioxidant, and preservative agent.
Preparation
Sodium disulfite can be prepared by treating a solution of sodium hydroxide with sulfur dioxide. When conducted in warm water, Na2SO3 initially precipitates as a yellow solid. With more SO2, the solid dissolves to give the disulfite, which crystallises upon cooling.
- SO2 + 2 NaOH → Na2SO3 + H2O
- SO2 + Na2SO3 → Na2S2O5
which yields a residue of colourless solid Na2S2O5.
Sodium sulfate
Sodium sulfate (also known as sodium sulphate or sulfate of soda) is the inorganic compound with formula Na2SO4 as well as several related hydrates. All forms are white solids that are highly soluble in water. With an annual production of 6 million tonnes, the decahydrate is a major commodity chemical product. It is mainly used for the manufacture of detergents and in the kraft process of paper pulping
The world production of sodium sulfate, almost exclusively in the form of the decahydrate amounts to approximately 5.5 to 6 million tonnes annually (Mt/a). In 1985, production was 4.5 Mt/a, half from natural sources, and half from chemical production. After 2000, at a stable level until 2006, natural production had increased to 4 Mt/a, and chemical production decreased to 1.5 to 2 Mt/a, with a total of 5.5 to 6 Mt/a. For all applications, naturally produced and chemically produced sodium sulfate are practically interchangeable.
Sodium sulfite
Sodium sulfite (sodium sulphite) is the inorganic compound with the chemical formula Na2SO3. A pale yellow, water-soluble solid, it is used commercially as an antioxidant and preservative. A heptahydrate is also known but it is less useful because of its greater susceptibility toward oxidation by air.
Preparation
Sodium sulfite can be prepared by treating a solution of sodium hydroxide with sulfur dioxide. When conducted in warm water, Na2SO3 initially precipitates as a yellow solid. With more SO2, the solid dissolves to give the disulfite, which crystallizes upon cooling.
- SO2 + 2 NaOH → Na2SO3 + H2O
Sodium sulfite is made industrially by treating sulfur dioxide with a solution of sodium carbonate. The overall reaction is:
- SO2 + Na2CO3 → Na2SO3 + CO2
Sulfammon Granular Ammonium Sulfate
Ammonium sulfate [(NH₄)₂ SO₄] was one of the first and most widely used nitrogen (N) fertilizers for crop production. It’s now less common but especially valuable where both N and sulfur (S) are required. Its high solubility provides versatility for a number of agricultural applications.
Production
Ammonium sulfate (sometimes abbreviated as AS or AMS) has been produced for more than 150 years. Initially, it was made from ammonia released during manufacturing coal gas (used to illuminate cities) or from coal coke used to produce steel. Today, manufacturers make it by reacting sulfuric acid with heated ammonia. To get the crystal size best suited for the application, they control the reaction conditions by screening and drying the particles until achieving the desired size. Some materials are coated with a conditioner to reduce dust and caking.
Byproducts from various industries meet most of the current demand for ammonium sulfate. For example, the nylon manufacturing process produces ammonium sulfate as a co-product. In another, certain byproducts that contain ammonia or spent sulfuric acid are commonly converted to ammonium sulfate for use in agriculture.
Although the color can range from white to beige, ammonium sulfate is consistently sold as a highly soluble crystal with excellent storage properties. As described earlier, particle size can also vary depending on the intended purpose.