Difference between revisions of "Zinc carbonate"

Revision as of 12:00, 4 August 2015

Zinc carbonate is a white, insoluble, zinc salt with chemical formula ZnCO₃. With it, most simple zinc salts can be made by reaction with the corresponding proportions of sulfate.

Zinc carbonate occurs in nature as the mineral Smithsonite aka zinc spar.

Properties

Chemical properties

Zinc carbonate, like other carbonates, dissolves easily in acidic solution due to its basic nature, but is insoluble in water. This reaction gives off carbon dioxide. It will also dissolve in an excess of strong base to form zincates. Zinc carbonate can be thermally decomposed to form zinc oxide.

Physical

Zinc carbonate is a white compound. The natural variety contains impurities, giving it blue, pink or green coloring. ZnCO₃ has a density of 4,398 g/cm³. At high temperatures it will begin to decompose. Zinc carbonate is insoluble in water.

Availability

Zinc carbonate can be purchased from chemical suppliers, such as Chemisphere Limited.

Preparation

Zinc carbonate can be made by reacting zinc sulfate or any other water soluble zinc(II) salt with sodium carbonate or sodium bicarbonate. It can also be made by the reaction of zincates with carbon dioxide. The resulting precipitate can then be filtered and dried, then stored in an environment free of acidic vapors.

Uses

Zinc carbonate can be reacted with acids to form other zinc salts. It can also be used similarly to zinc oxide as a white pigment.

Handling

Safety

Zinc carbonate poses little toxicity to organisms and environment.

Storage

Zinc carbonate should be stored in closed containers, away from any acidic vapors.

Disposal

No special disposal is required.

References

Relevant Sciencemadness threads

• Zinc Carbonate
• Impure ZnCO3?