Magnesium Sulfate Melting Point

magnesium sulfate melting point is the temperature at which magnesium sulfate begins to melt. Magnesium sulfate is a chemical compound, a salt that contains the magnesium cation Mg2+ and the sulfate anions SO24. It is a white crystalline solid that is soluble in water but not in ethanol. It has a wide range of uses, including acting as an anticonvulsant, a cardiovascular drug, a calcium channel blocker, an anaesthetic, a tocolytic, an anti-arrhythmia medication and an analgesic. It is also a common fertiliser.

The anhydrous form of magnesium sulfate is commonly known as Epsom salt. It is a popular additive to garden and home improvement products such as fertilizers, plants and wood preservatives. It is also used in laboratory applications such as drying organic solvents and GC analysis. Magnesium sulfate can be toxic to human beings if inhaled or ingested. It is mildly irritating to the eyes and respiratory tract.

It is produced by precipitating magnesium hydroxide from aqueous solution and reacting it with sulfuric acid. It is also found naturally in geological environments as the minerals epsomite, kieserite and hexahydrite. It is also an important constituent of evaporitic potassium-magnesium (K-Mg) salt deposits. It can also be made from magnesium-containing industrial wastes by treating them with sulfuric acid.

Anhydrous magnesium sulfate is a solid with a melting point of about 355 °C. It can be formed in a variety of crystal shapes, but the most common is the needle-like rhombic crystalline form, often used as Epsom salt for its therapeutic benefits when added to baths. It is also available as the heptahydrate with seven molecules of water, which is less prone to caking than the anhydrous form.