Talk:Ammonium sulfate

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Above undated message substituted from Template:Dashboard.wikiedu.org assignment by PrimeBOT (talk) 14:05, 16 January 2022 (UTC)

Lab prep
If it is a start-class page why not add also the lab prep? Don't get me wrong but ... rather than a class lesson it sounds like teaching the biggest chem industry engs of tomorrow. Come on ... Simply "Ammonium sulfate can be made in the laboratory by neutralising dilute sulfuric acid with ammonia solution. H2SO4(aq) + 2NH3(aq) -> (NH4)2SO4(aq) As already stated below - not only the end - but the entire project may desperately need some kind of robust cleaning and categorization. My2cents 195.103.15.42 (talk) 17:44, 13 March 2014 (UTC)Gabe
 * Could include this, really you would just buy this as a commodity rather than prepping it in a lab. Graeme Bartlett (talk) 21:45, 13 March 2014 (UTC)

Mohr´s salt
Mohr´s salt is the double sulfate of ammonium and iron (II) (it´s a schönite),not the ammonium sulfate.

I just reverted spelling changes by an anon and an undiscussed move to ammonium sulphate. Sulfate is the IUPAC standard and the spelling of preference for Wikipedia science and chemistry articles. Vsmith 23:37, 4 December 2005 (UTC)

Gas Works?
Does anyone know whether "gas-works" in this article, under the commercial production section, means the refining of natural gas as an energy source, or gas as in petrol, petroleum, gasoline? Bioarchie1234 11:47, 13 April 2006 (UTC)
 * It would be gas as in natural gas, no petrol, but actually not natural gas, as this would be artificially made from coal. Graeme Bartlett (talk) 10:41, 9 December 2013 (UTC)

Its effect on soil pH
I'm no chemist, but I do know that ammonium sulfate (NH4)2SO4 is not an acid, but a salt. Ummm... salts are pH neutral, right? Moreover, I tested my well water pH and it was found to be pH 6.4. Next I dissolved 1 British teaspoon of agricultural grade AS granules into 1 cup of that well water, and as I expected, the pH of the solution changed in a direction toward neutral, which in my case was up, not down (because my water was already slightly acidic before dissolving the AS). I'm tempted to edit out the phrase that states that AS is quite acidic and will lower the pH balance of the soil. However the monograph for AS at states AS as producing an acid reaction in water. For some reason my own observations do not coroborrate the so-called "facts" found in either this Wikipedia article or the ChemicalLand21 monograph. Now I won't edit the article any time soon, but if after a few months from today a convincing explanation for the questionable statement is not provided on this discussion page, then I'll make the necessary deletion. Perhaps aqueous solutions of AS are neutral, but such solutions cause a complex chain of chemical reactions with organic and inorganic components of soil that causes soil pH to drop? --Zymatik 01:30, 6 August 2006 (UTC)
 * OK, the theory, dissolving a salt in water can make the resulting solution acidic or basic. When a salt dissolves in water, in general they break op in ions, e.g. a solution of NaCl (tablesalt) in water contains Na+ ions and Cl--ions, both by definition in equal quantities, and both hydrated with a certain number of water molecules.  Now the way ions dissolve, is that they get a shell of water around them.  Now there is a small (but measurable) effect, that some ions 'pull' harder onto the water molecules than others, which may result in (in the example of NaCl, and I may have it the wrong way around, been quite some time, and is not my field, one would have to look up if NaOH is a weaker base than HCl is an acid) that Na+ is stronger hydrated than the Cl- is.  This effects that the dissolving Na+ makes water more ionised (you could say that on average the OH- 'half' of a water molecule likes the Na+ more than the H+), and frees more H+ than the reverse effect for Cl- (Cl- in this case releasing OH-).  If there is a difference in strength (which I expect to be quite small for NaCl), the NaCl-solution appears more acidic than water (or more basic, if my initial assupmtion was the other way around).  This effect should be quite substantial when dissolving e.g. CaCl2 or one of the main-group metal chlorides (TiCl4 e.g.).
 * But now for ammoniumsulphate. This compound is also a salt, but here another effect is also taking place, NH4+ can give of a H+ to water, although the affinity of H+ is bigger for NH3 than for H2O (ammonia is a stronger base than water), there is always some transfer (these processes are still equilibria).  The degree of acidity may not be big, so the effects might still be small (albeit substantially bigger than for NaCl), these things are all related to the relative pKa-values of compounds.  So it is similar to dissolving NaOH, but NaOH directly delivers OH-, just like benzoic acid directly gives H+, but here the H+ is 'masked'.
 * Thank you for the interest, I now realise, that maybe the described theory should be somewhere in Wikipedia (how was this effect called again ..) .. need to have a look around. --Dirk Beetstra T  C 10:07, 6 August 2006 (UTC)

SO42- ion acts as a a very weak base, and comes from H2SO4 wich dissociates completely. NH4+ acts as a weak acid. Those 2 will both donate a OH- or a H3O+. But NH4* is stronger, so it makes the soil more acid. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 134.58.253.57 (talk) 09:25, 18 October 2007 (UTC)

I deleted the sentence in the opening paragraph of the article that stated that the sulfur in the compound was for the purpose of lowering soil pH. The sulfate anion will not do anything to soil pH. Elemental sulfur, however, when oxided by sulfur oxidizing microbes, will result in a release of H+ ions from reaction. The author was probably confused and did not recognize the difference between sulfate and elemental sulfur. Ammonium sulfate fertilizer will acidify soil, but the mechanism occurs during the oxidation of ammonium to nitrate. It has nothing to do with the sulfur. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 128.118.7.47 (talk) 16:18, 10 May 2012 (UTC)

percentage
ammonium sulfate is NOT 18% sulfur as stated on this page. It is 24% sulfur: 2N+8H+1S+4O=(2*14)+(8*1)+(1*32)+(4*16)= 132 atomic weight of (NH4)2 SO4 ammonium sulfate. Sulfur's atomic weight of 32 divided by 132 = 24%, NOT 18%. Also, see http://www.sulfn.com/68.119.21.47 15:58, 1 September 2006 (UTC) John. J. Hunczak (moved --Dirk Beetstra T C 16:07, 1 September 2006 (UTC))

Melting/Decomposition point data
This data is inaccurate. Pure compounds do not melt over a wide span 235-280. The correct data is

Melting point 235 degrees C

Start of Decomposition 280 degrees C


 * What are the decomposition products? That's good info to have. Kel - Ex-web.god 08:51, 16 November 2007 (UTC)

gross
the end of this article desperately needs cleanup. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 71.183.102.25 (talk) 04:12, 27 November 2007 (UTC)

Sulfuric acid
Is it possible to get sulfuric acid from ammonium sulfate?--Nitrogenase 15:45, 2 December 2007 (UTC)

Solubility of Ammonium Sulfate
Can someone check on the solubility in water ? I think it is up to some 550 g/l, not 700 or so. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 84.56.52.105 (talk) 12:10, 6 July 2009 (UTC)

The CRC handbook of chemistry and physics says 76.4 grams per 100 grams of H2O @ 25 C. I think the value for 20C is correct. Spidey71 (talk) 14:16, 19 February 2010 (UTC)

550g/l seems to be correct. We checked this experimentally. you never will get disolved more! a curious student — Preceding unsigned comment added by 148.188.1.60 (talk) 16:32, 7 December 2011 (UTC)

This is all so true, I think somebody in the source (like the Merck index) misinterpretered "x g solute per 100g of water" (which is correct) as "x g/100 mL" (which is totally incorrect) 148.177.168.117 (talk) 11:27, 14 April 2017 (UTC)Ikke

Hygroscopy of Ammonium Sulfate
I doubt the substance is hygroscopic. My personal experience with the salt is not. I have successfully kept it in a vial for over 25 years, and the substance is perfectly dry. Also, the CRC handbook does not say it's hygroscopic. Neither does Handbook of Inorganic Chemicals from Pradyot Patnaik, from which the text here at wiki has been largely taken. Spidey71 (talk) 14:16, 19 February 2010 (UTC)

Edit: Maybe the substance has been confused with ammonium sulfite, which is hygroscopic according to CRC handbook (85th ed.) Spidey71 (talk) 14:25, 19 February 2010 (UTC)

Is this right?
I see this in the article

Heating at higher temperature result in fully decomposition into ammonia, nitrogen, sulfur dioxide and water.

Should this really say sulfur trioxide not sulfur dioxide? Jokem (talk) 01:41, 18 August 2011 (UTC)

I guess 3 (NH4)2SO4  --heat-->   4 NH3(g) + N2(g) + 6 H2O(g) + 3 SO2(g)

You seem to expect (NH4)2SO4  --heat-->   2 NH3(g) + 1 H2O(g) + SO3(g)

I suggest you perform the experiment or check literature to find out what really happens. Spidey71 (talk) 21:47, 22 January 2012 (UTC)

Coke-Oven Article Needed
Coke-Ovens are mentioned in this article but there is not article on the subject. Please may someone start and article on the subject. 2602:306:C518:62C0:290F:5E4E:7E60:2AD6 (talk) 20:09, 21 July 2012 (UTC)

Ammonium sulfate density?
I am confused by the inclusion of a density for ammonium sulfate at 20 C. As it is a solid at this temperature, density depends on packing, and its inclusion here will likely just confuse the reader. Ggspring (talk)Greg
 * I agree and have removed it. -- Ed (Edgar181) 16:04, 18 June 2017 (UTC)

Dolamin?
I got here from a redirect from "Dolamin". I'm looking for information on a medication called Dolamin Flex, the box says the active ingredients are cyclobenzaprine hydrochloride and lysine clonixinate. Is that related to what is described in this article at all? --TiagoTiago (talk) 08:06, 15 February 2014 (UTC)

CLP classification
This material is cited to be H315, H319 and H335, yet has pictogram GHS09 which is attributed to aquatic toxicity. There is an ECHA dossier for this material that states that it is not classified at all. I also have access to several SDS for this material that also state that it is not classified under GHS/ CLP. I believe that this classification is wrong for this material and CAS number. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 80.209.167.52 (talk) 12:55, 17 June 2021 (UTC)