Blog >> Some Unknown facts about Sodium Sulphate

Sodium Sulphate or Sodium Sulfate is one of the most widely used industrial chemicals. It is the sodium salt of sulfuric Acid .The Sodium Sulphate is mainly called as Anhydrous Sodium sulphate and Glauber?s salt. In 1625 Johann Rudolf Glaubers discovered the sodium sulphate from Austrian spring water. Until 1900 this sodium sulphate was used as Laxative hence it is called sal mirabilis (miraculous salt)

Difference between Anhydrous Sodium Sulphate and Glauber's salt

Anhydrous Sodium Sulphate	Glauber?s Salt
It do not contain water molecule	It is hydrate form of Sodium Sulphate
Chemical Formula Na2SO4	Chemical Formula Na2SO4. 10H2O
It is  also known as Mineral Thenardite	It is also known as mirabilis
When Glauber?s salt is cooled then we get Anhydrous Sodium Sulphate.	It is natural form and its natural mineral form is known as mirabilite Na2SO4.7H2O

Sodium Sulphate is of two type. The type depends on their production Process.

1. Natural Sodium Sulphate

2. Synthetic Sodium Sulphate

Natural Sodium Sulphate 

Countries where deposit of Sodium sulphate is abundant: Sodium sulphate is present in plentiful in nature. Some of the countries where this salt is present are USA, Mexico, China, South Africa and several other nations.

How the salt is formed by Nature: The salt is formed because of the erosion of igneous rocks. When these rocks erode, the sodium salt of this rock is carried by water and collects in natural basins. In these basins huge amount of sulphur is present which comes from erosion of iron pyrite, volcanic sources etc. The sodium reacts with sulphur resulting in the formation of sodium sulphate precipitate. These precipitate collects in crystalline deposits and it is called Thenardite in honour of French Chemist Louis Thenard. It tastes salty and dissolves in water.

This salt is present naturally in decahydrate form and is called Glauber's salt and its natural mineral form is heptahydrate form known as mirabilite.

Purification of Mirabilte to be used in industries

About two- thirds of worlds production of natural sodium sulphate is obtained from mirabilite. Mirabilite are fed into a tank, and then is extracted by water, impurities are removed. The clean extract is evaporated and centrifuged. Finally this wet sodium sulphate is dried to obtain product sodium sulphate.

We will post our next blog on the various manufacturing processes of synthetic sodium sulphate. Stay connected with us. For any enquiries or information,