Updated 04-May-2020.
Mondo shtuff from around the internet, all about SODIUM SULFATE!
My botty best at summarizing from Wikipedia: Sodium sulfate is the inorganic compound with formula Na2SO4 as well as several related hydrates . with an annual production of 6 million tonnes, the decahydrate is a major commodity chemical product Glauber’s salt is also known as sal mirabilis (miraculous salt) the crystals were used as a general purpose laxative until more sophisticated alternatives came about in the 1900s . Na2SO4 + BaCl2 2 NaCl + BaSO4Sodium sulfate is unreactive toward most oxidizing or reducing agents . at high temperatures, it can be converted to formation of glaserite by reaction of sodium sulfate with potassium chloride used . other double salts include 3Na2SO4CaSO4 and 3FNa1SO4 . 32.384 °C, corresponding to release of crystal water and melting of hydrated salt, serves as accurate temperature reference for thermometer calibration . crystalline sodium sulfate decahydrate is also unusual among hydrated in 1985, production was 4.5 Mt/a, half from natural sources, and half from chemical production . in 1990, Mexico and Spain were the world’s main producers of natural sodium sulfate . for all major producers of 200,000 to 1,500,000 tonnes/year in 2006 include searles valley minerals . most of this production is chemically inherent to the primary process . sodium sulfate production as by-product is declining . by effort of the industry, therefore, the industry’s effort is decreasing . surplus sodium hydroxide is neutralised by sulfuric acid . commercial sources are readily available, but laboratory synthesis is not practised often . previously sodium sulfate was a by-product of the manufacture of sodium dichromate . the largest use is as filler in powdered home laundry detergents, consuming approx. 50% of world production . domestic consumers are increasingly switching to compact or liquid detergents that do not include sodium sulfate the use of sodium sulfate in the US and Canadian pulp industry declined from 1,400,000 tonnes per year in 1970 to only approx. 150,000 tonnes in 2006 . however, due to advances in the thermal efficiency of the Kraft the glass industry in Europe has been consuming from 1970 to 2006 a stable 110,000 tonnes annually . Sodium sulfate is important in the manufacture of textiles, particularly in Japan, where it is the largest application salt is incorporated into thermal tiles placed in attic space . heat of fusion of sodium sulfate decahydrate is 82 kJ/mol or 252 kj/kg . for cooling applications sodium sulfate is added to the solution until the crystals no longer clump together . it can be used with a variety of materials since it is chemically fairly inert . other uses include de- thermaltake makes a laptop computer chill mat using sodium sulfate decahydrate . the material slowly turns to liquid and recirculates, equalizing laptop temperature . dust can cause temporary asthma or eye irritation;