8680. Sodium Sulfate

Nomenclature

CAS number: 7757-82-6
Sodium sulfate sodium salt (1:2).
Na2O4S; mol wt 142.04.
Na 32.37%, O 45.06%, S 22.57%.
Na2SO4.

Description and references

Occurs in nature as the minerals mirabilite, thenardite. Industrial production: Faith, Keyes & Clark's Industrial Chemicals, F. A. Lowenheim, M. K. Moran, Eds. (Wiley-Interscience, New York, 4th ed., 1975) p 762-768.

Properties

Anhydrous form, salt cake (technical grade). Powder or orthorhombic bipyramidal crystals, mp 884°. d 2.7. Sol in ≈3.6 parts water. Max soly at 33°: 1 in 2. Above this temp the soly gradually decreases and at 100° requires 2.4 parts water. Insol in alcohol.

Derivative

Decahydrate.

Nomenclature

CAS number: 7757-82-6
Glauber's salt.
Na2O4S.10H2O; mol wt 322.19.
Na 14.27%, O 69.52%, S 9.95%, H 6.26%.

Properties

Odorless, efflorescent crystals or granules, mp 32.4°. d 1.46. Loses all its water at 100°. Sol in 1.5 parts water at 25°, in 3.3 parts water at 15°. Soly in water decreased by NaCl. Sol in glycerol; insol in alcohol. The aq soln is neutral. pH 6-7.5. Keep well closed in a cool place.

Use

For standardizing dyes; in freezing mixtures; in dyeing and printing textiles. The anhydrous form for drying organic liquids; in Kjeldahl nitrogen determination; in manuf of glass, ultramarine, paper pulp.

Therapeutic Category

Cathartic.

Therapeutic Category (Veterinary)

Purgative.

Keywords

Laxative/Cathartic