Application
Anhydrous sodium sulfate has a wide range of applications, including the manufacture of water glass, glass, porcelain enamel, pulp, refrigeration mixtures, detergents, desiccants, dye diluents, analytical chemical reagents, and pharmaceuticals.
Chemical Properties
Anhydrous sodium sulfate is a typical electrostatically bound ionic sulfate. When barium or lead salts are added to form insoluble sulfates, the presence of free sulfate ions in solution can be demonstrated:
Na2SO4 + BaCl2→ 2 NaCl + BaSO4
Sodium sulfate is unreactive to most oxidizing or reducing agents. At high temperatures, it can be converted to sodium sulfide by carbothermal reduction.
