Hayden Alford
CH-396X-01
2/12/15
Help Received: See References
Sodium Sulfate
Sodium Sulfate, often referred to as Glauber’s salt, has had an incredible impact on mankind since its
discovery dating back the 17th century. Sodium sulfate has a wide variety of uses that have become
incorporated into different cultures all over the world. This salt has several interesting chemical properties that
have made it such a useful commodity to so many civilizations. With a history of nearly four hundred years,
the story of sodium sulfate has evolved over time resulting in a fascinating journey that demonstrates how it
has influenced man over four centuries in many different fields.
Sodium sulfate was discovered by Johann Rudolph Glauber, a German/Dutch chemist, in 1625. He
discovered sodium sulfate in Austrian spring water and called it sal mirabilis because of its medicinal
properties. Glauber reported that the salt appeared as a white or colorless crystal. Johann Glauber was born in
1604 in Karlstadt, Germany and never attended a university. Although Glauber never had any official
schooling, he received his training by visiting various laboratories in Paris, Basel, Slazburg, and Vienna. For
the majority of Glauber’s career as chemist, he worked in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, and Germany (1).
Sodium sulfate can be found in several places within the United States, as well as other countries
around the world. It can be found naturally in deposits in lake beds or produced as a byproduct of other
processes. In the United States, sodium sulfate can be obtained from Searles Lake, California; the Great Salt
Lake, Utah; and other sources in Nevada, Washington and Wyoming. Internationally, sodium sulfate can be
mined in Mexico, China, and South Africa (2). The United States currently imports more naturally-ocurring
sodium sulfate than it mines simply because it is more cost effective to import it, rather than develop mining
sites. The most well known process for chemically producing sodium sulfate comes from hydrochloric acid.
The following equation displays how sodium sulfate is generated from the production of hydrochloric acid:
2NaCl + H2SO4 HCl + Na2SO4. Manufacturing rayon, recycling battery acids, production of ascorbic acid,
cellulose and flue gas desulfurization are also processes that produce sodium sulfate as a byproduct. One of the
most popular ways to prepare synthetic sodium sulfate in the United States and the United Kingdom is from
the neutralization of sulfuric acid that is leftover from the production of rayon with sodium hydroxide: 2NaOH
+ H2SO4 Na2SO4 + H2O. This method is also considered the most convenient for laboratory preparation of
sodium sulfate (3).
In regards to the chemical properties of sodium sulfate, it is considered very stable because it does not
decompose even when heated. It also does not react with oxidizing or reducing agents at normal temperatures.
However, at high temperatures, sodium sulfate can be reduced to sodium sulfide. Sodium sulfate is a neutral salt
with a pH of seven when dissolved in water. This is because it is derived from a strong acid, sulfuric acid, and a
strong base, sodium hydroxide. Sodium sulfate has a melting point of 884°C and a boiling point of 1700°C (3).
Sodium sulfate has an MSDS of two for health, zero for fire, and zero for reactivity. Sodium sulfate can be
hazardous to one’s health if ingested as well as an irritant to the skin and eyes (4). From a chemical analysis
standpoint, the decahydrate is the most abundant natural form of sodium sulfate. Its chemical formula is
H20Na2O14S. According to infrared spectroscopy, sodium sulfate displays absorption bands at 1124cm-1, 638cm-1,
and 618cm-1 (5). The instrumental analysis, although somewhat limited, has given people a much better
understanding of the countless ways in which sodium sulfate can be used.
Sodium sulfate has a wide array of practical uses. Initially, sodium sulfate had medicinal uses as it was
used as a laxative. It is still used as a laxative today in some stronger preparations; however, it has decreased in
popularity in pharmaceuticals with the discovery of other, less harsh, compounds. The most popular use of
sodium sulfate is as a filler in powdered and liquid detergents and soaps. Approximately one half of the sodium
sulfate production is used for this industry. Other important uses of sodium sulfate include glassmaking, the
manufacture of wood pulp products, and the production of textiles and fabrics. It is also commonly used as a
drying agent. Sodium sulfate can be found as an ingredient in window defrosting solutions. Sodium sulfate
also serves as a passive heat storage medium in solar panels. Annual production of sodium sulfate worldwide
is roughly 5.5 to 6 millions tons. Two thirds of all sodium sulfate produced comes from natural deposits. The
other one third is produced as a product of numerous chemical processes (6). In 1970, the price of sodium
sulfate was thirty dollars per ton. As of 2006, the price of sodium sulfate has risen to ninety dollars per ton.
Even though the price of sodium sulfate has tripled over the last four decades, it is still considered a relatively
inexpensive salt. It is apparent that sodium sulfate plays a major role in the industrial sector, and, therefore, it
has particular strategic importance in the economy of the United States. Because it is a relatively cheap salt, its
use in the manufacturing of a wide variety of goods helps keep the overall costs at a minimum. This is
strategically important to the American people as a whole because it keeps the cost of production down, which
allows for products involving sodium sulfate to be made more cost effectively, essentially lowering prices for
consumers.
Sodium sulfate has had significant effects on civilizations around the world since its discovery in the
17th century. Sodium sulfate is an extremely versatile salt that is considered inexpensive to produce making it
highly popular to industries in all different sectors. The numerous uses of sodium sulfate are what have
allowed it to have such a global impact on the development of different civilizations. From it initial use as a
laxative, to its wide variety of uses in the twenty first century, sodium sulfate has been a key component in the
advancement of the human species.
References:
1. http://galileo.rice.edu/Catalog/NewFiles/glauber.html
2. http://www.sodiumsulfate.org
3. http://www.vias.org/genchem/inorgcomp_sodiumsulfate.html
4. http://www.sciencelab.com/msds.php?msdsId=9927278
5. http://tera.chem.ut.ee/IR_spectra/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=124&Itemid=91
6. http://www.sodiumsulfate.org/Sodium-Sulfate-Uses.html