Chemical Properties
Colorless crystals, small needles, or
granular, crystalline powder; without odor; astringent,
metallic taste. Efflorescent in air. Solutions
acid to litmus. Loses
7H2O at 280C. Soluble in water and glycerol; insoluble
in alcohol.
Definition
ChEBI: A hydrate that is the heptahydrate form of zinc sulfate.
Brand name
Verazinc
(Forest).
General Description
Zinc sulfate heptahydrate has various industrial applications. It is widely employed as an electrolyte for zinc electroplating and for the storage of solar energy in various solar appliances. Its crystals exhibit diamagnetism.
reaction suitability
reagent type: catalyst
core: zinc
Agricultural Uses
Zinc sulphate heptahydrate (ZnSO4?7H2O), also called
white vitriol, is the most common form of zinc sulphate.
It forms zinc sulphate monohydrate above 70°C and
anhydrous salt at 280°C, and is used as a mordant and a
styptic (to check bleeding).
Industrial uses
Zinc sulfate (ZnSO4·7H2O) is a white powder, very soluble in water (i.e. 37%
at 20 °C). Zinc sulfate is primarily used in base-metal flotation as a depressant
for sphalerite. Zinc sulfate has been used to depress talc in by-product molybdenum
circuit.
Biological Activity
Zinc sulfate solution is as potent as formalin. This chemical is mainly used to tre at footrot. It may also be used to tre at acute bronchiolitis.
Purification Methods
Crystallise it from aqueous EtOH or dilute H2SO4 below 39o when it forms the heptahydrate, and between 39o and 70o it forms the hexahydrate, and above 70o the monohydrate is stable. The anhydrous salt is obtained from the hydrates by heating at 280o or lower temperatures in a current of dry air. It decomposes to ZnO and SO2 at 767o. The solubility of the heptahydrate in H2O is 5.88% at 0o, 61.92% at 30o, 66.61% at 35o and 70.05% at 39o.