21 Sodium Sulfate Uses: Facts You Should Know!

Sodium sulfate is a chemical compound with the formula Na₂SO₄. Na₂SO₄ is a white crystalline solid. Let us study various uses of sodium sulfate in this article. 

The application of sodium sulfate is listed below.

• Laundry detergent
• Paper industry
• Glass industry
• Textile industry
• Glauber’s salt
• Solar heating system
• Laboratory 
• Starch manufacture
• Acidity regulator/ buffering agent
• Cattle feed

Let us focuss on uses of Sodium sulfate in different industries in this article.

Laundry detergent

• Sodium sulfate is used as filler in powdered home laundry detergent, powder dish detergent and carpet powder.
• Na₂SO₄ is a cleaning agent in copy makers to driveways, garages and swimming pools.  

Paper industry

• Sodium sulfate has application in the paper industry for the manufacturing of wood pulp by the process called as Kraft process.
• Sodium sulfate is used as a reducing agent, which reduces wood to pulp. Na₂SO₄ strengthen the paper product.
• Kraft paper, strong paper wrapping paper, making paper bags, Brown paper bags, cardboard bags, and pizza boxes formed from this pulp.

Glass industry

• In the glass industry, sodium sulfate is used as a fining agent, which helps to remove small air bubbles from molten glass.
• Sodium sulfate has a major role in glass making as it fluxes the glass during refining Na₂SO₄ prevents scum formation of the glass melt.
• Na₂SO₄ is used to provide the necessary alkali base in making the bottle, sheets, plate glasses, window glasses, beverage containers, food containers and glassware of kitchen tables.

Textile industry

• Sodium sulfate has major use in the textile industry in the manufacture of textiles.
• Na₂SO₄ helps the dye to penetrate evenly by levelling, reducing negative charges on fibres.
• Na₂So₄ prevent corrosion of stainless steel vessel used in dyeing.

Glauber’s salt

• Na₂SO₄10H₂O is Glauber’s salt and is a laxative.
• Glauber’s salt is used in the dyeing and tanning process.

Solar heating system

• Sodium sulfate has unusual solubility properties and high heat of crystallization (78.2KJ/mole), due to which it has role in the passive solar heating system.

Laboratory

• Anhydrous sodium sulfate is known as drying agent for organic solutions, removing water residue from organic solutions.
• The addition of Na₂So₄ to the solution is done until the crystal stop clumping.

Starch manufacture

• Sodium sulfate is used in the manufacturing of starch.
• Na₂SO₄ prevents premature swelling of starch and gelatinization of the starch when temperature and pH are increased during the manufacturing process.

Acidity regulator/ buffering agent

• Sodium sulfate is an acidity regulator as it maintains the acidity or basicity of food or cosmetics.

Cattle feed

• Sodium sulfate is used as an additive in cattle feed.
• Na₂SO₄ increases Dietary Electrolyte Balance (DEB) value in monogastric diets.
• Na₂SO₄ helps in the improvement of animal performance, such as weight gain and feed conversion ratio, especially under heat-stress conditions.

Conclusion

Sodium sulfate is commonly known as Disodium sulfate. Na₂SO₄ has a molar mass of 142.04 g/mol (anhydrous) and 322.20 g/mol (decahydrate). Na₂SO₄ melts at 884⁰C and has a boiling point of 1429⁰C. Na₂SO₄ is soluble in glycerol, water and hydrogen iodide. Na₂SO₄ is an odourless solid.