Sodium aluminium sulfate

Sodium aluminium sulfate

Names
IUPAC name Aluminium sodium bis(sulfate) — water (1:12)
Other names Sodium alum Soda alum E521
Identifiers
CAS Number	10102-71-3 7784-28-3 (dodecahydrate)
ChemSpider	22972
EC Number	233-277-3
Jmol interactive 3D	Image
PubChem	24939
InChI InChI=1S/Al.Na.2H2O4S.12H2O/c;;2*1-5(2,3)4;;;;;;;;;;;;/h;;2*(H2,1,2,3,4);12*1H2/q+3;+1;;;;;;;;;;;;;;/p-4 Key: ZEMWIYASLJTEHQ-UHFFFAOYSA-J InChI=1/Al.Na.2H2O4S.12H2O/c;;2*1-5(2,3)4;;;;;;;;;;;;/h;;2*(H2,1,2,3,4);12*1H2/q+3;+1;;;;;;;;;;;;;;/p-4 Key: ZEMWIYASLJTEHQ-XBHQNQODAL
SMILES [O-]S(=O)(=O)[O-].[O-]S(=O)(=O)[O-].[Na+].[Al+3]
Properties[1]
Chemical formula	NaAl(SO4)2·12H2O
Molar mass	458.28 g/mol
Appearance	white crystalline powder
Density	1.6754 (20 °C)
Melting point	61 °C (142 °F; 334 K)
Solubility in water	208 g/100 ml (15 °C)
Refractive index (nD)	1.4388
Structure[2]
Crystal structure	Cubic, cP96
Space group	Pa3, No. 205
Lattice constant	a = 1221.4 pm
Coordination geometry	Octahedral (Na^+) Octahedral (Al^3+)
Hazards
Flash point	non-flammable
Related compounds
Other cations	Ammonium aluminium sulfate Potassium aluminium sulfate
Except where otherwise noted, data are given for materials in their standard state (at 25 °C [77 °F], 100 kPa).
Infobox references

Sodium aluminium sulfate is the inorganic compound with the chemical formula NaAl(SO₄)₂·12H₂O (sometimes written Na₂SO₄·Al₂(SO₄)₃·24H₂O). Also known as soda alum or sodium alum, this white solid is used in the acidity regulator of food (E521) mainly in the manufacture of baking powder.

Production and use

It is produced by combining sodium sulfate and aluminium sulfate. An estimated 3000 ton/y are (2003) are produced. In the US, it is combined with sodium bicarbonate and monocalcium phosphate to give double acting baking powder used in domestic settings.^[3]

The classical cubic alum structure is the dodecahydrate, which is known in mineralogy as alum-(Na).^[4][5] Two other rare mineral forms are known: mendozite (undecahydrate)^[6] and tamarugite (hexahydrate).^[7]

It is also a common mordant for the preparation of hematoxylin solutions for staining cell nuclei in histopathology.

References

1. Weast, Robert C., ed. (1981). CRC Handbook of Chemistry and Physics (62nd ed.). Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press. p. B-146. ISBN 0-8493-0462-8..
2. Cromer, D. T.; Kay, M. I.; Larson, A. C. (1967), "Refinement of the alum structures. II. X-ray and neutron diffraction of NaAl(SO₄)₂·12H₂O, γ-alum", Acta Crystallogr. 22 (2): 182–87, doi:10.1107/S0365110X67000313.
3. Otto Helmboldt, L. Keith Hudson, Chanakya Misra, Karl Wefers, Wolfgang Heck, Hans Stark, Max Danner, Norbert Rösch "Aluminum Compounds, Inorganic" in Ullmann's Encyclopedia of Industrial Chemistry 2007, Wiley-VCH, Weinheim.doi:10.1002/14356007.a01_527.pub2
4. Burke, Ernst A.J. (2008), "Tidying up mineral names: an IMA-CNMNC scheme for suffixes, hyphens and diacritical marks" (PDF), Mineralogical Record 39 (2): 131–35.
5. Alum-(Na), WebMineral.com, retrieved 2009-11-28.Alum-(Na), MinDat.org, retrieved 2009-11-28.
6. Mendozite, WebMineral.com, retrieved 2009-11-28.Mendozite, MinDat.org, retrieved 2009-11-28.
7. Tamarugite, WebMineral.com, retrieved 2009-11-28.Tamarugite, MinDat.org, retrieved 2009-11-28.