Sciencemadness Discussion Board

Niche uses for Sodium Sulfate?

Amos - 30-3-2014 at 15:11

I've recently been making cheap bulk amounts of magnesium carbonate by mixing solutions of sodium carbonate and magnesium sulfate(Epsom salts). Once I've filtered off the insoluble magnesium carbonate, I neutralize any leftover aqueous sodium carbonate with sulfuric acid and recrystallize sodium sulfate from the solution. I was just wondering if anybody on the site had found any interesting applications of sodium sulfate (other than the ones you can find on Wikipedia). I'm not trying to do anything particular with it; merely curious and intent on having a waste-less lab.

thesmug - 30-3-2014 at 15:15

http://www.sodiumsulfate.org/Sodium-Sulfate-Uses.html

Texium - 30-3-2014 at 15:17

Wow, who knew that such a place as "sodiumsulfate.org" would exist.
The internet is a fascinating place!

DraconicAcid - 30-3-2014 at 15:21

Quote: Originally posted by zts16  
Wow, who knew that such a place as "sodiumsulfate.org" would exist.
The internet is a fascinating place!


I'm just hoping there aren't any rule-34-compliant sites about sodium sulphate.

The_Davster - 30-3-2014 at 16:06

Quote: Originally posted by zts16  
Wow, who knew that such a place as "sodiumsulfate.org" would exist.
The internet is a fascinating place!


high google search volume, low competition, easy to rank it in google and make sweet sweet advertizing cash.

hmm, sodium carbonate.org is also a similar site
Quote: Originally posted by DraconicAcid  


I'm just hoping there aren't any rule-34-compliant sites about sodium sulphate.


I believe the rule states that as you have now thought of it, it exists.

Amos - 30-3-2014 at 17:36

Thanks for the site, I am equally shocked that the site exists. That being said, those are all the same uses discussed on Wikipedia; I'm looking more to use it as a reagent for the synthesis of other chemicals. Not entirely sure about this, but would I be able to electrolyze a solution of sodium sulfate with copper electrodes to make copper sulfate in solution? I'm not super well-read on electrochemistry, but I have a feeling that may work.

Etaoin Shrdlu - 30-3-2014 at 20:08

Quote: Originally posted by DraconicAcid  
I'm just hoping there aren't any rule-34-compliant sites about sodium sulphate.

I guarantee there are at least images.

gdflp - 31-3-2014 at 12:27

It won't be simple to make copper sulfate from sodium sulfate. At the anode Cu2+ ions would be produced and at the cathode H2 and OH- would be produced. The copper ions will react with the hydroxide giving an overall equation of Cu + Na2SO4 + 2H2O --> Cu(OH)2 + H2 + Na2SO4. This copper hydroxide could be filtered and reacted with sulfuric acid I suppose, but it would be much simpler to just electrolyze sulfuric acid with copper electrodes.

Morgan - 31-3-2014 at 14:13

Quote: Originally posted by zts16  
Wow, who knew that such a place as "sodiumsulfate.org" would exist.
The internet is a fascinating place!


I always liked this one.
http://www.h2so4today.com/