Na2SO4 Full Form

What is the full form of Na2SO4?

Na2SO4 or Sodium Sulphate or sulphate of soda is an anhydrous, sodium salt form of sulfuric acid. It is an inorganic compound and is a major commodity chemical product. Sodium sulphate anhydrous segregates in water (H2O) to provide sodium ions and sulphate ions. The sodium ion is the main cation of the fluid outside the cell and plays a massive role in the therapy of fluid and electrolyte disturbances. Sodium sulphate anhydrous is an electrolyte replenisher, and it is used in isosmotic solutions. Sodium sulphate is used as an isosmotic solution so that administration does not disturb normal electrolyte balance and does not lead to absorption or loss of water and ions.

Structure

The white crystals of the decahydrate [Na(OH2)6]+ ions are in octahedral molecular geometry (also known as square pyramidal). In the structure of sodium sulphate, these octahedral share edges such that 8 out of 10 water molecules bind to sodium, and the other 2 are interstitial, being hydrogen bonded to sulphate. Hydrogen bonds link the cations to the sulphate anions.

Various Forms

There are three forms of sodium sulphate. They are-

Anhydrous sodium sulphate, also known as thenardite, is a rare mineral used as a drying agent in organic synthesis.

Heptahydrate sodium sulphate is a rare form of sodium sulphate.

Decahydrate sodium sulphate, also known as mirabilite, is a mineral widely used by chemical industries. It is also called Glauber’s salt.

Physical and Chemical Properties

• Sodium sulphate is a white crystalline solid or a powder (orthorhombic bipyramidal crystals) and an odourless compound. It is bitter saline in taste and soluble in water, 28.1 g/100 g water at 25 degrees Celsius. It is also soluble in glycerine but unsolvable in alcohol.

• The decahydrate sodium sulphate is efflorescent. It is also hygroscopic (tending to absorb moisture from the environment).

• It has a molecular weight of 142.04. It has a relative density (water =1): of 2.7.

• It has a boiling point of 1429 degrees Celcius and a melting point of 884 degrees Celsius.

• When sodium sulphate is heated to decomposition, it emits toxic fumes of sulfur oxides and sodium oxide.

• Sodium sulphate is neutral or slightly alkaline to litmus paper (pH of a 5% solution =9.0).

• It is a typical electrostatically bonded ionic sulphate.

• It is unreactive towards most oxidising or reducing agents.

• It displays a moderate tendency to form double salts.

Identification

Sodium sulphate is a salt of the element sodium that belongs to group 1 of the s-block. Sodium sulphate solution is prepared by dissolving it in water. Barium chloride is also a salt, so a substitution reaction will take place because salt has different cations and anions. When the sodium sulphate reacts with barium chloride, it will form a white precipitate of barium sulphate and it is insoluble in mineral acids. The reaction is given below -

BaCl_{2}+Na_{2}SO_{4}\to BaSO_{4}+2NaCl

The quantitative method for the detection of sodium sulphate in water can be done by Flame Photometry (based on the measurement of the emitted light intensity when a metal is introduced into the flame).

Manufacture and Uses

Manufacture

The Mannheim process produces sodium sulphate through a reaction of sodium chloride and sulfuric acid. This reaction is held in the Mannheim furnace, a fluidised-bed reactor or a specially-made furnace.

Sodium sulphate is prepared by the neutralisation of sulfuric acid with sodium hydroxide.

In Texas, subterranean sulphate brines are pumped to the surface where the brines are saturated with sodium chloride (NaCl) before they are cooled by mechanical refrigeration to form Glauber’s salt (decahydrate sodium sulphate).

Uses

• Industrial uses - used as adhesives and sealant chemicals, anti-scaling agents, bleaching agents, catalysts, brighteners, etc.

• The consumer uses - used in dyes, fillers, dehydrating agents (desiccants), laboratory chemicals, etc.

• Household products - used in home maintenance, inside the home, landscaping or yard, personal care, pet care, and pesticides.