Copper+Sulfate

Copper Sulfate, CuSO4, is a naturally-occurring, inorganic crystalline salt. It is poisonous, odorless and usually blue (it is white only in its anhydrous form, or when it doesn't contain water). Copper sulfate is soluble in water and slightly soluble in alcohol. When exposed to temperatures about 400°C it decomposes, giving off sulfur trioxide gas. If burned, copper sulfate may produce irritating or poisonous gas.

Uses
Copper sulfate is used in agriculture, textile dyeing, leather treatment, electroplating and the manufacturing of germicides. It is also used as a fungicide, where it controls bacterial and fungal diseases of fruits, vegetables, nuts and field crops. Bacterial and fungal diseases such as mildew, leaf spots, blights, and apple scab. When combined with lime and water, it acts as a protective fungicide called Bordeaux mixture for leaf application and seed treatment. It's also used an algaecide, and herbicide in irrigation and municipal water treatment systems. Copper sulfate is also used as a molluscicide, which is a material used to repel and kill slugs and snails.


 * Copper(II) sulfate**, also known as **cupric sulfate** or copper sulphate, is the [|chemical compound] with the [|chemical formula] [|Cu][|SO4] . This salt exists as a series of compounds that differ in their degree of [|hydration] . The [|anhydrous] form is a pale green or gray-white powder, whereas the pentahydrate (CuSO4·5H2O), the most commonly encountered salt, is bright blue. Copper sulfate [|exothermically] dissolves in water to give the [|aquo complex] [Cu(H2O)6]2+, which has [|octahedral molecular geometry] and is [|paramagnetic] . Other names for copper(II) sulfate are "blue vitriol" and "bluestone".

Toxicological effects
Copper sulfate is an irritant. The usual routes by which humans can receive toxic exposure to copper sulfate are through eye or skin contact, as well as by inhaling powders and dusts. Skin contact may result in itching or [|eczema]. Eye contact with copper sulfate can cause [|conjunctivitis], [|inflammation] of the eyelid lining, [|ulceration] , and clouding of the [|cornea].

Upon acute oral exposure, copper sulfate is only moderately toxic. According to studies, the lowest dose of copper sulfate that had a toxic impact on humans is 11 mg/kg. Because of its irritating effect on the [|gastrointestinal tract], vomiting is automatically triggered in case of the ingestion of copper sulfate. However, if copper sulfate is retained in the stomach, the symptoms can be severe. After 1–12 grams of copper sulfate are swallowed, such poisoning signs may occur as a metallic taste in the mouth, burning pain in the chest, [|nausea], [|diarrhea] , vomiting, headache, discontinued urination, which leads to yellowing of the skin. In case of copper sulfate poisoning, injury to the brain, stomach, liver, or kidneys may also occur.

Preparation of copper(II) sulfate by electrolyzing sulfuric acid, using copper electrodes Copper sulfate is produced industrially by treating copper metal with hot concentrated sulfuric acid or its oxides with dilute [|sulfuric acid]. For laboratory use, copper sulfate is usually purchased. The anhydrous form occurs as a rare mineral known as [|chalcocyanite]. The hydrated copper sulfate occurs in nature as [|chalcanthite] (pentahydrate), and two more rare ones: bonattite (trihydrate) and boothite (heptahydrate).

Chemical properties
Copper(II) sulfate pentahydrate [|decomposes] before melting at 150 °C, losing two water molecules at 63 °C, followed by two more at 109 °C and the final water molecule at 200 °C. Dehydration proceeds by decomposition of the tetraaquacopper(2+) moiety, two opposing aqua groups are lost to give a diaquacopper(2+) moiety. The second dehydration step occurs with the final two aqua groups are lost. Complete dehydration occurs when the only unbound water molecule is lost. At 650 °C, copper(II) sulfate decomposes into [|copper(II) oxide] (CuO) and [|sulfur trioxide] (SO3). Its blue color is due to water of hydration. When heated in an open flame the crystals are dehydrated and turn grayish-white. Copper sulfate reacts with concentrated hydrochloric acid. In the reaction the blue solution of copper(II) turns green, due to the formation of tetrachlorocuprate(II): Cu2+ + 4 Cl– → CuCl42– It also reacts with more reactive metals than copper (e.g. Mg, Fe, Zn, Al, Sn, Pb, etc.): CuSO4 + [|Zn] → [|ZnSO4] + CuCuSO4 + [|Fe] → [|FeSO4] + CuCuSO4 + [|Mg] → [|MgSO4] + CuCuSO4 + [|Sn] → [|SnSO4] + Cu3 CuSO4 + 2 [|Al] → [|Al2(SO4)3] + 3 Cu The copper formed is deposited on the surface of the other metal. The reaction stops when no free surface of the metal is present anymore.