Sodium sulfate
Image File history File links A sample of anhydrous sodium sulfate (Na2SO4). ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1092x966, 4 KB) Summary Chemical structure of sodium sulfate. ...
General
Systematic name	Sodium sulfate
Other names	Sodium sulphate Salt cake Thenardite (mineral) Glauber's salt (decahydrate) Sal mirabilis (decahydrate) Mirabilite (decahydrate) Trona
Molecular formula	Na2SO4
Hydrates	Heptahydrate: Na2SO4·7H2O Decahydrate: Na2SO4·10H2O
Molar mass	142.04214 g/mol (anhydrous) 268.14924 g/mol (heptahydrate 322.19514 g/mol (decahydrate)
Appearance	White crystalline solid, hygroscopic
CAS number	[7757-82-6] (anhydrous) [7727-73-3] (decahydrate)
Properties
Density	2.68 g/cm3, anhydrous (orthorhombic form) 1.464 g/cm3, decahydrate
Solubility in water	4.76 g/100 ml (0 °C) 42.7 g/100 ml (100 °C)
In ethanol	insoluble
Melting point	884 °C (1157 K) anhydrous 32.4 °C decahydrate
Structure
Coordination geometry	?
Crystal structure	monoclinic, orthorhombic or hexagonal
Hazards
MSDS	External MSDS
Main hazards	Irritant
R/S statement	None
RTECS number	WE1650000 (anhydrous)
NFPA 704	IUPAC nomenclature is a systematic way of naming organic chemical compounds. ... Glaubers salt, also sal mirabilis, is the name of sodium sulfate decahydrate, Na2SO4•10H2O, which was discovered by and named for the 17th-century German iatrochemist Johann Glauber. ... Mirabilite, also known as Glaubers salt, is a hydrous sodium sulfate mineral: Na2SO4·10H2O. It is a vitreous, colorless to white monoclinic mineral which forms as an evaporite from sodium sulfate bearing brines. ... A chemical formula (also called molecular formula) is a concise way of expressing information about the atoms that constitute a particular chemical compound. ... Hydrate is a term which means different things in inorganic chemistry and organic chemistry. ... Molar mass is the mass of one mole of a chemical element or chemical compound. ... As a general term, a substance is said to be anhydrous if it contains no water. ... A hygroscopic substance is a substance that absorbs water readily from its surroundings. ... CAS registry numbers are unique numerical identifiers for chemical compounds, polymers, biological sequences and alloys. ... Density, or volumic mass (ISO 31), is a measure of mass per volume. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Solution. ... This article describes water from a scientific and technical perspective. ... Ethanol, also known as ethyl alcohol or grain alcohol, is a flammable, colorless, slightly toxic chemical compound with a distinctive perfume-like odor, and is the alcohol found in alcoholic beverages. ... The melting point of a crystalline solid is the temperature at which it changes state from solid to liquid. ... The coordination geometry of an atom is the geometrical pattern formed by its neighbors in a molecule or a crystal. ... Enargite crystals In mineralogy and crystallography, a crystal structure is a unique arrangement of atoms in a crystal. ... In crystallography, the monoclinic crystal system is one of the 7 lattice point groups. ... In crystallography, the orthorhombic crystal system is one of the 7 lattice point groups. ... A regular hexagon A hexagon (also known as sexagon) is a polygon with six edges and six vertices. ... A material safety data sheet or MSDS is a form containing data regarding the properties of a particular substance. ... The examples and perspective in this article or section may not represent a worldwide view. ... Risk and Safety Statements, also known as R/S statements, R/S numbers, R/S phrases, and R/S sentences, is a system of hazard codes and phrases for labeling dangerous chemicals and compounds. ... RTECS, also known as Registry of Toxic Effects of Chemical Substances, is a database of toxicity information compiled from the open scientific literature that is available for charge. ... NFPA 704 is a standard maintained by the U.S. National Fire Protection Association. ... Image File history File links NFPA_704. ... 0 2 0
Supplementary data page
Structure and properties	n, εr, etc.
Thermodynamic data	Phase behaviour Solid, liquid, gas
Spectral data	UV, IR, NMR, MS
Related compounds
Other anions	Sodium hydrogen sulfate Sodium sulfite Sodium bisulfite Sodium persulfate
Other cations	Lithium sulfate Potassium sulfate Magnesium sulfate
Except where noted otherwise, data are given for materials in their standard state (at 25°C, 100 kPa) Infobox disclaimer and references

Sodium sulfate is an important compound of sodium. When anhydrous, it is a white crystalline solid of formula Na₂SO₄. The decahydrate, Na₂SO₄•10H₂O, is known as Glauber's salt. Sodium sulfate is mainly used for the manufacture of detergents and in the Kraft process of paper pulping, although it has many other uses. About half of the world's production is from the natural mineral form of the decahydrate (mirabilite), and half from by-products of chemical processes. The refractive index (or index of refraction) of a material is the factor by which the phase velocity of electromagnetic radiation is slowed in that material, relative to its velocity in a vacuum. ... The dielectric constant εr (represented as or K in some cases) is defined as the ratio: where εs is the static permittivity of the material in question, and ε0 is the vacuum permittivity. ... Ultraviolet-Visible Spectroscopy or Ultraviolet-Visible Spectrophotometry (UV/ VIS) involves the spectroscopy of photons (spectrophotometry). ... IR spectrum of a thin film of liquid ethanol. ... Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy most commonly known as NMR Spectroscopy is the name given to the technique which exploits the magnetic properties of nuclei. ... Basic schematic of a mass spectrometer Mass spectrometry (also known as mass spectroscopy (deprecated)[1] or in common speech mass-spec) is an analytical technique used to measure the mass-to-charge ratio of ions. ... Multivalent redirects here. ... Sodium bisulfate, also sodium hydrogen sulfate, has formula NaHSO4. ... In chemistry, sodium sulfite is a soluble compound of sodium. ... Sodium hydrogen sulfite or sodium bisulfite is a chemical compound with the chemical formula NaHSO3. ... Sodium persulfate (Na2S2O8) is a chemical compound. ... Multivalent redirects here. ... Lithium sulfate is a white inorganic salt that is used in the treatment of manic depressive disorders. ... Potassium sulfate (K2SO4) (also known as potash of sulfur) is a non-flammable white crystalline salt which is soluble in water. ... Magnesium sulfate or Magnesium sulfate heptahydrate or Epsom salt is a chemical compound containing magnesium, with the formula MgSO4·7H2O. Magnesium sulfate without water of crystalization MgSO4 is available as a far less common chemical and drying agent, but typically magnesium sulfate refers to the hydrate, and Epsom salt always... In chemistry, the standard state of a material is its state at 1 bar (100 kilopascals) and 25 degrees Celsius (298. ... General Name, Symbol, Number sodium, Na, 11 Chemical series alkali metals Group, Period, Block 1, 3, s Appearance silvery white Atomic mass 22. ... As a general term, a substance is said to be anhydrous if it contains no water. ... Hydrate is a term which means different things in inorganic chemistry and organic chemistry. ... The Kraft process is used in production of paper pulp and involves the use of caustic sodium hydroxide and sodium sulfide to extract the lignin from the wood fiber in large vats called digesters. ... Pulping refers to the system of destroying unsold books (usually but not always mass market paperbacks). ...

History

Glauber's salt, the decahydrate also known as sal mirabilis, is named after Johann Glauber, who discovered it in the 17th century. The white or colorless crystals were originally used as a laxative. Johann Rudolf Glauber (1604 - March 10, 1670), a German-Dutch alchemist and chemist. ... (16th century - 17th century - 18th century - more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 17th century was that century which lasted from 1601-1700. ... A laxative is a preparation used for encouraging defecation, or the expulsion of feces. ...

Physical and chemical properties

Na₂SO₄ is chemically very stable, being unreactive toward most oxidising or reducing agents at normal temperatures. At high temperatures, it can be reduced to sodium sulfide. It is a neutral salt, which forms aqueous solutions with pH of 7. The neutrality such solutions reflects the fact that Na₂SO₄ is derived, formally speaking, from a strong acid (sulfuric acid) and a strong base (sodium hydroxide). Sodium sulfate reacts with an equivalent amount of sulfuric acid to give an equilibrium concentration of the acid salt sodium hydrogen sulfate: Semi-accurate illustration of a redox reaction Redox reactions include all chemical processes in which atoms have their oxidation number (oxidation state) changed. ... Sodium sulfide, or Na2S, is a water soluble chemical compound. ... Acidity is a controversial novelette written for the popular South Asian website Chowk. ... Sulfuric acid (British English: sulphuric acid), H2SO4, is a strong mineral acid. ... Sodium hydroxide (NaOH), also known as lye or caustic soda, is a caustic metallic base. ... Chemical equilibrium is the state in which the concentrations of the reactants and products have no net change over time. ... In chemistry, concentration is the measure of how much of a given substance there is mixed with another substance. ... Acid salt is a chemical compound, formed when a dibasic or tribasic acid was neutralized to some degree. ... Sodium bisulfate, also sodium hydrogen sulfate, has formula NaHSO4. ...

Na₂SO₄(aq) + H₂SO₄(aq) → 2 NaHSO₄(aq)

In fact the equilibrium is very complex and dependent on concentration and temperature, with other acid salts being present. Drinking water This article focuses on water as we experience it every day. ... In chemistry, concentration is the measure of how much of a given substance there is mixed with another substance. ...

Na₂SO₄ is a typical ionic sulfate, containing Na⁺ ions and SO₄²⁻ ions. Aqueous solutions can produce precipitates when combined with salts of Ba²⁺ or Pb²⁺, which form insoluble sulfates: In inorganic chemistry, a sulfate (IUPAC-recommended spelling; also sulphate in British English) is a salt of sulfuric acid. ... General Name, Symbol, Number barium, Ba, 56 Chemical series alkaline earth metals Group, Period, Block 2, 6, s Appearance silvery white Atomic mass 137. ... For PB or pb as an abbreviation, see PB. General Name, Symbol, Number lead, Pb, 82 Chemical series poor metals Group, Period, Block 14, 6, p Appearance bluish white Atomic mass 207. ...

Na₂SO₄(aq) + BaCl₂(aq) → 2 NaCl(aq) + BaSO₄(s) Barium chloride (BaCl2) is a salt of barium and chlorine. ... Sodium chloride, also known as common salt, table salt, or halite, is a chemical compound with the formula NaCl. ... Granulated Barium Sulfate Barium sulfate (or barium sulphate) is the white crystalline solid with the formula BaSO4. ... In jewelry, a solid gold piece is the alternative to gold-filled or gold-plated jewelry. ...

Sodium sulfate has unusual solubility characteristics in water, ³ as shown in the graph below. Its solubility rises more than tenfold between 0 °C to 32.4 °C, where it reaches a maximum of 49.7 g Na₂SO₄ per 100 g water. At this point the solubility curve changes slope, and the solubility becomes almost independent of temperature. In the presence of NaCl, the solubility of Na₂SO₄ is markedly diminished. Such changes provide the basis for the use of sodium sulfate in passive solar heating systems, as well is in the preparation and purification of sodium sulfate. Sodium chloride, also known as common salt, table salt, or halite, is a chemical compound with the formula NaCl. ... Solar heating is a style of building construction which uses the energy of sunshine to heat a structure. ...

Image File history File links Graph of solubility data for sodium sulfate, drawn in Microsoft Excel and scanned in by User:Walkerma, July 2005 File links The following pages link to this file: Sodium sulfate ...

This nonconformity can be explained in terms of hydration, since 32.4 °C corresponds with the temperature at which the crystalline decahydrate (Glauber's salt) changes to give a sulfate liquid phase and an anhydrous solid phase.

Occurrence

About half of the world's production of the decahydrate (Glauber's salt) is from the natural mineral form mirabilite - found in lake beds in southern Saskatchewan, for example. In 1990, Mexico and Spain were the world's main producers of natural sodium sulfate (each around 500 000 tonnes), with Russia, USA and Canada also important (around 350 000 tonnes each). Mirabilite, also known as Glaubers salt, is a hydrous sodium sulfate mineral: Na2SO4·10H2O. It is a vitreous, colorless to white monoclinic mineral which forms as an evaporite from sodium sulfate bearing brines. ... Motto: Multis E Gentibus Vires (Latin: From many peoples, strength) Official languages English Flower Western Red Lily Tree Paper Birch Bird Sharp-tailed Grouse Capital Regina Largest city Saskatoon Lieutenant-Governor Gordon Barnhart Premier Lorne Calvert (NDP) Parliamentary representation  - House seats  - Senate seats 14 6 Area Total  - Land  - Water  (% of... A tonne or metric ton (symbol t), sometimes referred to as a metric tonne, is a measurement of mass equal to 1,000 kilograms. ...

Anhydrous sodium sulfate occurs in arid environments as the mineral thenardite, which is less common than mirabilite. It slowly turns to mirabilite in damp air. Glaubers salt, also sal mirabilis, is the name of sodium sulfate decahydrate, Na2SO4•10H2O, which was discovered by and named for the 17th-century German iatrochemist Johann Glauber. ...

Manufacture

About half of the world's sodium sulfate comes from natural sources (see above), while the other half is produced as a by-product of other processes. The most important of these is the production of hydrochloric acid from sodium chloride (salt) and sulfuric acid (the Mannheim process), in which case the Na₂SO₄ is known as salt cake: The chemical compound hydrochloric acid is the aqueous (water-based) solution of hydrogen chloride (HCl). ... Sodium chloride, also known as common salt, table salt, or halite, is a chemical compound with the formula NaCl. ... Sulfuric acid (British English: sulphuric acid), H2SO4, is a strong mineral acid. ... The Mannheim process is an important method for the manufacture of hydrochloric acid and sodium sulfate from sodium chloride (salt) and sulfuric acid in which case the Na2SO4 is known as salt cake: 2 NaCl + H2SO4 → Na2SO4 + 2 HCl Categories: | ...

2 NaCl + H₂SO₄ → Na₂SO₄ + 2 HCl

Alternatively, Na₂SO₄ can be produced from sulfur dioxide using the Hargreaves process: Sodium chloride, also known as common salt, table salt, or halite, is a chemical compound with the formula NaCl. ... Sulfuric acid (British English: sulphuric acid), H2SO4, is a strong mineral acid. ... R-phrases , S-phrases , , , , Flash point non-flammable Supplementary data page Structure and properties n, εr, etc. ... Sulfur dioxide (or Sulphur dioxide) has the chemical formula SO2. ...

4 NaCl + 2 SO₂ + O₂ + 2 H₂O → 2 Na₂SO₄ + 4 HCl

In the US and UK, Na₂SO₄ is as a major by-product of the manufacture of sodium dichromate. Other sources of Na₂SO₄ include a myriad of processes where leftover sulfuric acid is neutralised by sodium hydroxide. This method is also the most convenient laboratory preparation. Sodium chloride, also known as common salt, table salt, or halite, is a chemical compound with the formula NaCl. ... Sulfur dioxide (or Sulphur dioxide) has the chemical formula SO2. ... General Name, Symbol, Number oxygen, O, 8 Chemical series Nonmetals, chalcogens Group, Period, Block 16, 2, p Appearance colorless (gas) very pale blue (liquid) Atomic mass 15. ... This article describes water from a scientific and technical perspective. ... R-phrases , S-phrases , , , , Flash point non-flammable Supplementary data page Structure and properties n, εr, etc. ... Sodium dichromate is a chemical, formula Na2Cr2O7. ... Neutralization is a chemical reaction in which an acid and a base react and produce salt and water. ... Sodium hydroxide (NaOH), also known as lye or caustic soda, is a caustic metallic base. ...

2 NaOH(aq) + H₂SO₄(aq) → Na₂SO₄(aq) + 2 H₂O(l)

Bulk sodium sulfate is usually purified via the decahydrate form, since the anhydrous form tends to attract iron compounds and organic compounds. The anhydrous form is easily produced from the hydrated form by gentle warming. Sodium hydroxide (NaOH), also known as lye or caustic soda, is a caustic metallic base. ... Drinking water This article focuses on water as we experience it every day. ... This article describes water from a scientific and technical perspective. ... A liquid will usually assume the shape of its container. ... General Name, Symbol, Number iron, Fe, 26 Chemical series transition metals Group, Period, Block 8, 4, d Appearance lustrous metallic with a grayish tinge Atomic mass 55. ... Benzene is the simplest of the arenes, a family of organic compounds An organic compound is any member of a large class of chemical compounds whose molecules contain carbon and hydrogen; therefore, carbides, carbonates, carbon oxides and elementary carbon are not organic (see below for more on the definition controversy...

Uses

In 1995, bulk sodium sulfate sold for around $70 per tonne in the US, making it a very cheap material. Probably the largest use for sodium sulfate today is as a filler in powdered home laundry detergents. Total consumption of Na₂SO₄ in Europe was around 1.6 million tonnes in 2001, of which 80% was used for detergents. However this use is waning as domestic consumers are increasingly switching to liquid detergents that do not include the chemical. Display of Tide on sale at a supermarket Laundry detergents are just only one of many possibilities of use of the detergents Detergent is a compound, or a mixture of compounds, intended to assist cleaning. ...

Another major use for Na₂SO₄, particularly in the US, is in the Kraft process for the manufacture of wood pulp. Organics present in the "black liquor" from this process are burnt to produce heat, needed to drive the reduction of sodium sulfate to sodium sulfide. However, this process is being replaced to some extent by newer processes; use of Na₂SO₄ in the US pulp industry declined from 980 000 tonnes in 1970 to only 210 000 tonnes in 1990. The Kraft process is used in production of paper pulp and involves the use of caustic sodium hydroxide and sodium sulfide to extract the lignin from the wood fiber in large vats called digesters. ... International Paper Company Wood pulp is the most common material used to make paper. ... Semi-accurate illustration of a redox reaction Redox reactions include all chemical processes in which atoms have their oxidation number (oxidation state) changed. ... Sodium sulfide, or Na2S, is a water soluble chemical compound. ...

The glass industry also provides another significant application for sodium sulfate, consuming around 30 000 tonnes in the US in 1990 (4% of total US consumption). It is used as a "fining agent", to help remove small air bubbles from molten glass. It also fluxes the glass, and prevents scum formation of the glass melt during refining. Glass can be made transparent and flat, or into other shapes and colors as shown in this sphere from the Verrerie of Brehat in Brittany. ...

Sodium sulfate is important in the manufacture of textiles, particularly in Japan. It helps in "levelling", reducing negative charges on fibres so that dyes can penetrate evenly. Unlike the alternative sodium chloride, it does not corrode the stainless steel vessels used in dyeing. This article is about the type of fabric. ... Sodium chloride, also known as common salt, table salt, or halite, is a chemical compound with the formula NaCl. ... The 630 foot high, stainless-clad (type 304) Gateway Arch defines St. ...

Glauber's salt, the decahydrate, was formerly used as a laxative. It has also been proposed for heat storage in passive solar heating systems.⁶ This takes advantage of the unusual solubility properties (see above), and the high heat of crystallisation (78.2 kJ/mol). Other uses for sodium sulfate include frosting windows, in carpet fresheners, starch manufacture and as an additive to cattle feed. In the laboratory, anhydrous sodium sulfate is widely used as an inert drying agent for organic solutions; Na₂SO₄ is added to the solution until the crystals no longer clump together. A laxative is a preparation used for encouraging defecation, or the expulsion of feces. ... In physics, heat, symbolized by Q, is defined as energy in transit. ... Solar heating is a style of building construction which uses the energy of sunshine to heat a structure. ... Crystal (disambiguation) Insulin crystals A crystal is a solid in which the constituent atoms, molecules, or ions are packed in a regularly ordered, repeating pattern extending in all three spatial dimensions. ... Starch (CAS# 9005-25-8) is a complex carbohydrate which is insoluble in water; it is used by plants as a way to store excess glucose. ... A desiccant is a substance that adsorbs moisture from the air. ...

Precautions

Although sodium sulfate is generally regarded as non-toxic, handle it with care.

External links

• "Sodium sulfate" on Saskatchewan Interactive
• CEH report on sodium sulfate use
• US Government statistics
• Uses (Cooper)

• Links to external chemical sources.

References

1. Handbook of Chemistry and Physics, 71st edition, CRC Press, Ann Arbor, Michigan, 1990.
2. The Merck Index, 7th edition, Merck & Co, Rahway, New Jersey, USA, 1960.
3. "W. F. Linke, A. Seidell, Solubilities of Inorganic and Metal Organic Compounds, 4th edition, Van Nostrand, 1965.
4. D. Butts, in Kirk-Othmer Encyclopedia of Chemical Technology, 4th edition, v22, p403-411 (1997).
5. H. Nechamkin, The Chemistry of the Elements, McGraw-Hill, New York, 1968.
6. Maria Telkes, Improvements in or relating to a device and a composition of matter for the storage of heat, British Patent No. GB694553 (1953).