Physical Properties
Lead(II) acetate, Pb(CH3COO)2, is a white crystalline material with a sweet taste and is also classified by one of the following trivial names: lead sugar, Saturn salt and Goulard powder, respectively. Lead acetate is water and glycerin soluble, and is toxic (like most lead compounds).
The anhydrous salt is a white crystalline solid; very sweet taste; density 3.25 g/cm3 at 20°C; melts at 280°C; very soluble in cold water (44.39g/100g at 20°C); solubility is much greater in hot water (221g/100g at 50°C; also soluble in alcohols.
The trihydrate is a colorless monoclinic crystal or white granule or powder; refractive index 1.567 (along the beta axis); faint vinegar odor; intense sweet taste and then metallic after-taste; slowly effloresces; density 2.55 g/cm3; melts at 75°C upon rapid heating; loses some of its water of crystallization on heating which dissolves in it; decomposes at 200°C; highly soluble in water (45.61g/100g at 15°C and 200g/100g at 100°C); insoluble in alcohol.
The decahydrate is white rhombic crystal; density 1.69 g/cm3; melts at 22°C; soluble in water but insoluble in alcohol.
Uses
Lead (II) acetate, as well as white lead, have been used in cosmetics throughout history, though this practice has ceased in Western countries . It is still used in men's hair coloring products like Grecian Formula.
Lead acetate is used as a reagent to make other lead compounds and as a fixative for some dyes. In low concentrations, it is the principal active ingredient in progressive types of hair colouring dyes. These products are applied over a period of time to achieve a gradual coloring effect. Lead (Il) acetate is also used as a mordant in textile printing anddyeing,and as a drier in paints and varnishes.
Lead (II) acetate paper is used to detect the poisonous gas hydrogen sulfide. The gas reacts with lead (II) acetate on the moistened test paper to form a grey precipitate of lead (II) sulfide.
Lead (II) acetate solution was a commonly used folk remedy for sore nipples . In modern medicine, for a time, it was used as an astringent, in the form of Goulard's Extract.
An aqueous solution of lead (II) acetate is the by product of the 50 / 50 mixture of hydrogen peroxide and white vinegar used in the cleaning and maintenance of stainless steel fire arm suppressors (silencers) and compensators. The solution is agitated by the bubbling action of the hydrogen peroxide, and the main reaction is the dissolution of lead deposits within the suppressor by the acetic acid, which forms lead acetate.
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Preparation
Lead acetate is prepared by dissolving lead monoxide in strong acetic acid:
PbO + 2CH3COOH → Pb(C2H4O2)2 + H2O
The trihydrate is obtained by dissolving lead monoxide in hot dilute acetic acid solution. Upon cooling, large crystals separate out.
Reactions
Exposure to carbon dioxide yields basic lead carbonate, 2PbCO3•Pb(OH)2, the composition of which may vary with reaction conditions.
Reactions with sulfuric acid, hydrochloric acid and hydriodic acid yield lead sulfate PbSO4, lead chloride PbCl2, and lead iodide PbI2, respectively.
Reaction with hydrogen sulfide forms black precipitate of lead sulfide, PbS. A paper soaked with lead acetate solution turns black on exposure to H2S, a test often used to detect sulfide.
Toxicity
Moderately toxic by intraperitoneal route and possibly by oral route.
LD50 intraperitoneal (mouse):400 mg/kg
Description
Lead
acetate is stable under ordinary conditions of use and storage. Lead acetate is incompatible
with bromates, phenol, chloral hydrate, sulphides, hydrogen peroxide, resorcinol,
salicylic acid, sulphites, vegetable infusions, alkalis, tannin, phosphates, citrates, chlorides,
carbonates, tartrates, and acids. Lead (II) acetate, as well as white lead, has been
used in cosmetics throughout history, though this practice has ceased in Western countries.
It is still used in men’s hair colouring. Lead (II) acetate paper is used to detect the
poisonous gas hydrogen sulphide. The gas reacts with lead (II) acetate on the moistened
test paper to form a grey precipitate of lead (II) sulphide.
Chemical Properties
Lead (II) acetate (Pb (CH
3COO)
2), also known as lead acetate, lead diacetate, plumbous acetate, sugar of lead, lead sugar, salt of Saturn, and Goulard's powder, is a white crystalline chemical compound with a sweetish taste. It is made by treating lead(II) oxide with acetic acid. Like other lead compounds, it is toxic. Lead acetate is soluble in water and glycerin. With water it forms the trihydrate, Pb(CH
3COO)
2·3H
2O, a colorless or white efflorescent monoclinic crystalline substance.
The substance is used as a reagent to make other lead compounds and as a fixative for some dyes. In low concentrations, it is the principal active ingredient in progressive types of hair coloring dyes.
[citation needed] Lead(II) acetate is also used as a mordant in textile printing and dyeing, as a drier in paints and varnishes, and in preparing other lead compounds.
Chemical Properties
Lead acetate is a white, flaky crystalline substance with a slight odor of acetic acid. Commercial grades
may be powdered granules, or brown or gray lumps.
Diacetate: Powder.
Uses
2 – 1 - Sweetener Like other lead (II) salts, lead (II) acetate has a sweet taste, which has led to its use as a sugar substitute throughout history. The ancient Romans, who had few sweeteners besides honey, would boil must (grape juice) in lead pots to produce a reduced sugar syrup called defrutum, concentrated again into sapa. This syrup was used to sweeten wine and to sweeten and preserve fruit. It is possible that lead(II) acetate or other lead compounds leaching into the syrup might have caused lead poisoning in anyone consuming it . Lead acetate is no longer used in the production of sweeteners in most of the world because of its recognized toxicity. Modern chemistry can easily detect it, which has all but stopped the illegal use that continued decades after legal use as a sweetener was banned .
2 – 1 - Sweetener2 – 1 – 1 - Resultant deaths
Pope Clement II died in October 1047. A toxicologic examination of his remains conducted in the mid – 20 th century confirmed centuries-old rumors that he had been poisoned with lead sugar.It is not clear if he was assassinated.
In 1787 painter Albert Christoph Dies swallowed, by accident, approximately 21 g of lead acetate. His recovery from this poison was slow and incomplete. He lived with illnesses until his death in 1822 .
Although the use of lead (II) acetate as a sweetener was already illegal at that time, composer Ludwig van Beethoven may have died of lead poisoning caused by wines adulterated with lead acetate.
Mary Seacole applied lead (II) acetate, among other remedies, against an epidemic of cholera in Panama.
Uses
Mordant in cotton dyes; lead coating for metals; drier in paints, varnishes and pigment inks; colorant in hair dyes. Weighting silks; manufacture of lead salts, chrome-yellow; as analytical reagent for detection of sulfide, determination of CrO3, MoO3.
Production Methods
Lead acetate is made by dissolving lead monoxide (litharge) or lead carbonate in strong acetic acid. Several types of basic salts are formed when lead acetates are prepared from lead monoxide in dilute acetic acid or at high pH. The basic salts of lead acetate are white crystalline compounds, which are highly soluble in water and dissolve in ethyl alcohol.
Lead acetate can be made by boiling elemental lead in acetic acid and hydrogen peroxide.
Definition
ChEBI: A lead coordination entity in which a central lead(2+) atom is coordinated to two acetate ions.
Flammability and Explosibility
Not classified
Potential Exposure
Lead acetate is used as a color additive in hair dyes; as a mordant in cotton dyes, in the lead
coating of metals; as a drier in paints; varnishes and pigment inks; and in medicinals, such as astringents.
Incompatibilities: A strong reducing agent. Reacts violently
with strong oxidizers, bromates, strong acids; chemically
active metals; phosphates, carbonates, phenols. Contact
with strong acids forms acetic acid. Incompatible with
strong bases: ammonia, amines, cresols, isocyanates, alkylene oxides; epichlorohydrin, sulfites, resorcinol, salicylic
acid, and chloral hydrat
First aid
Skin Contact521: Flood all areas of body thathave contacted the substance with water. Do not wait toremove contaminated clothing; do it under the water stream.Use soap to help assure removal. Isolate contaminatedclothing when removed to prevent contact by others. EyeContact: Remove any contact lenses at once. Immediatelyflush eyes well with copious quantities of water or normalsalinefor at least 20- 30 min. Seek medicalattention.Inhalation: Leave contaminated area immediately; breathefresh air. Proper respiratory protection must be supplied toany rescuers. If coughing, difficult breathing, or any othersymptoms develop, seek medical attention at once, even ilsymptoms develop many hours affter exposure. Ingestion:Contact a physician, hospital, or poison center at once. Ifthe victim is unconscious or convulsing, do not inducevomiting or give anything by mouth. Assure that thepatient's airway is open and lay him on his side with hishead lower than his body and tran sport immediately to amedical facility. If conscious and not convulsing, give aglass of water to dilute the substance. V omiting should notbe induced without a physician's advice.Antidotes and special procedures for lead: Persons with sig-nificant lead poisoning are sometimes treated with CaEDTA while hospitalized. This“chelating” drug causes arush of lead from the body organs into the blood and kid-neys, and thus has its own hazards, and must be adminis-tered only by highly experienced medical personnel undercontrolled conditions and careful observation. Ca EDTA orsimilar drugs should never be used to prevent poisoningwhile exposure continues or without strict exposure control,as severe kidney damage can result.Note to physician: For severe poisoning BAL [British Anti-Lewisite, dimercaprol, dithiopropanol (C3HgOS2)] has beenused to treat toxic symptoms of certain heavy metals poi-soning. In the case of lead poisoning it may have SOMEvalue. Although BAL is reported to have a large margin ofsafety, caution must be exercised, because toxic effects maybe caused by excessive dosage. Most can be prevented bypremedication with 1-ephedrine sulfate (CAS: 134-72-5).
storage
Color Code- Blue: Health Hazard/Poison: Storein a secure poison location. Prior to working with thischemical you should be trained on its proper handlingandstorage. Store in a cool, dry place and keep tightly coveredand avoid contact with oxidizers, strong acids, chemicallyactive metals. A regulated, marked area should be estab-lished where this chemical is handled, used, or stored incompliance with OSHA Standard 1910.1045.
Shipping
UN1616 Lead acetate, Hazard Class: 6.1;
Labels: 6.1-Poisonous materials
Purification Methods
Crystallise it twice from anhydrous acetic acid and dry it under vacuum for 24hours at 100o. The solubility in H2O is 63% (at ~20o) and 200% (at boiling point). [Beilstein 2 IV 118.]
Incompatibilities
A strong reducing agent. Reacts violently
with strong oxidizers, bromates, strong acids; chemically
active metals; phosphates, carbonates, phenols. Contact
with strong acids forms acetic acid. Incompatible with
strong bases: ammonia, amines, cresols, isocyanates, alkylene oxides; epichlorohydrin, sulfites, resorcinol, salicylic
acid, and chloral hydrate
Waste Disposal
Convert to nitrate using nitric
acid; evaporate, then saturate with H2S; wash and dry
the sulfide and ship to the supplier. Consult with
environmental regulatory agencies for guidance on
acceptable disposal practices. Generators of waste containing this contaminant (≥100 kg/mo) must conform with
EPA regulations governing storage, transportation, treatment, and waste disposal
Precautions
Lead (II) acetate, as with any other lead salts, causes lead poisoning.
