Sodium sulphate

Other names: Glauber's salt, mirabilite, thenardite, sal mirabilis, sodium sulfate

Harm score: 2 (Derivatives of natural substances)

Sodium sulfate, also known as Glauber's salt, mirabilite, thenardite, sal mirabilis, or sodium sulfate, is a chemical with the formula Na2SO4. It is a white, odorless powdery substance that dissolves well in water, and is one of the naturally occurring minerals. Sodium sulfate is found in nature in the form of holy springs or precipitates around salt lakes. It was formerly used in medicine as a laxative, but this use is not recommended today because of its strong osmotic effect, which can dehydrate the body.

Sodium sulphate is now used extensively in industry, particularly in the chemical industry as a raw material for the manufacture of glass, paper, detergents and dyes. It is also used in mineral extraction, where it is used as an ingredient in the preparation of flotation solutions. In the textile industry, Glauber's salt is used in the dyeing of fabrics. In the food industry, sodium sulphate is used as an acidity regulator in some food products. Last but not least, it is also used in cosmetics, where it serves primarily as a thickening agent. Sodium sulphate is therefore a very important chemical without which many industries could not function.