Magnesium sulfate

Structural formula
General
Surname	Magnesium sulfate
other names	Epsom salt Epsom salt Epsomit
Molecular formula	MgSO 4 MgSO 4 · 7H 2 O
Brief description	colorless solid
External identifiers / databases
CAS number 7487-88-9 (MgSO 4 ) 10034-99-8 (MgSO 4 · 7 H 2 O) EC number 231-298-2 ECHA InfoCard 100.028.453 PubChem 24083 ChemSpider 22515 DrugBank DB00653 Wikidata Q288266
Drug information
ATC code	A06 AD04 A12 CC02 B05 XA05 D11 AX05 V04 CC02
properties
Molar mass	120.37 g · mol -1 (MgSO 4 ) 246.48 g · mol -1 (MgSO 4 · 7 H 2 O)
Physical state	firmly
density	2.66 g cm −3 (MgSO 4 ) 1.68 g cm −3 (MgSO 4 7 H 2 O)
Melting point	1124 ° C (decomposition)
solubility	readily soluble in water: 300 g l −1 (20 ° C) (MgSO 4 )
safety instructions
Please note the exemption from the labeling requirement for drugs, medical devices, cosmetics, food and animal feed GHS labeling of hazardous substances no GHS pictograms H and P phrases H: no H-phrases P: no P-phrases
Toxicological data	2820 mg l −1 ( LC 50 ,  fish , 96 h , median value) 1770 mg l −1 ( LC 50 ,  crustaceans , 48 h , median value) 344 mg l −1 ( EC 50 ,  crustaceans , 48 h )
As far as possible and customary, SI units are used. Unless otherwise noted, the data given apply to standard conditions .

Epsom salt is used in plant cultivation when there is a magnesium deficiency

Magnesium sulfate MgSO ₄ is one of the two magnesium salts of sulfuric acid alongside magnesium hydrogen sulfate Mg (HSO ₄ ) ₂ . Magnesium sulfate heptahydrate MgSO ₄ · 7 H ₂ O , which also occurs as the mineral epsomite , was given the common name Epsom salt because of its bitter taste .

• 

  Magnesium sulfate

• 

  Epsomit

Occurrence

In nature, magnesium sulfate occurs mainly as kieserite , a monohydrate. In addition to the monohydrate, other magnesium sulfates occur as minerals with different water content: pentahydrite (pentahydrate), hexahydrite (hexahydrate), epsomite (heptahydrate).

Manufacturing

Magnesium sulfate can be produced from magnesium and sulfuric acid using the following reaction equation:

${\displaystyle \mathrm {Mg+H_{2}SO_{4}\rightarrow H_{2}+MgSO_{4}} }$

Furthermore, it is formed when magnesium oxide or magnesium hydroxide is reacted with sulfuric acid and the subsequent evaporation of the water or drying:

${\displaystyle \mathrm {MgO+H_{2}SO_{4}\rightarrow H_{2}O+MgSO_{4}} }$

${\displaystyle \mathrm {Mg(OH)_{2}+H_{2}SO_{4}\rightarrow 2H_{2}O+MgSO_{4}} }$

properties

Magnesium sulfate is a colorless, odorless, strongly hygroscopic solid with a bitter taste. There are several hydrates , the most important of which is the magnesium sulphate heptahydrate MgSO ₄ · 7 H ₂ O (synonym: Epsom salt; mineral epsomite ).

Magnesium sulfate heptahydrate, crystallized from the solution, macroscopic image in polarized light

Magnesium sulfate heptahydrate, rhombic, microscopic image in polarized light

Epsomit forms colorless crystals that form a rhombic pseudotetragonal crystal lattice . The crystals often bloom in fibrous aggregates and form stalactites . Epsomit is readily soluble in water and has a density of 1.68 g / cm³.

use

fertilizer

• Magnesium sulfate is used as a source of magnesium for plants in fertilizers . Pure Epsom salt is used in fruit growing , among other things , but also specifically to prevent the needles of conifers from turning brown . Magnesium sulphate contributes to an acidic soil environment , which is generally preferred by conifers . An entry of 50 g / m² in spring or late autumn is usual. For large trees, up to 200 g / m² is applied.

Desiccant

• Because of its hygroscopic character, it is used in organic chemistry to dry substances. To do this, add enough anhydrous magnesium sulfate to the liquid to be dried until the newly added magnesium sulfate remains fine-grained in the liquid and no longer clumps. The magnesium sulfate can then be filtered off.

Medical application

• It has long been used in medicine as a laxative . The plant anatomist Nehemiah Grew extracted the Epsom salt, which he identified as magnesium sulfate in 1697, from mineral water for the first time.
• In obstetrics, MgSO _{4 is used} as the agent of choice for the therapy and prophylaxis of eclampsia- associated seizures.
• Magnesium sulfate is used in so-called instant hot packs to generate (therapeutic) heat up to 40 ° C.
• Magnesium sulfate is also used in medicine for bile flow tests (see choleretic ).
• For the treatment of torsades de pointes tachycardia , magnesium sulfate is administered intravenously ( off-label use ).
• Magnesium sulphate is used in the treatment of acute asthma attacks and also in acute myocardial infarction .

Further use

• MgSO ₄ is used in floating plants to produce a highly saturated brine on which a body can lie without submerging.
• Magnesium sulfate solution is used as an electrolyte replacement or regeneration solution for lead-acid batteries .
• As a component of artificial table salts , e.g. B. Pansalz , to save sodium chloride .

See also

• Saidschitzer bitter water

Individual evidence

1. ↑ ^{a b c d e f g h i j} Entry on magnesium sulfate in the GESTIS substance database of the IFA , accessed on December 19, 2019 (JavaScript required)
2. ↑ External identifiers or database links for magnesium hydrogen sulfate : CAS number: 10028-26-9, EC number: 233-073-4, ECHA InfoCard: 100.030.055 , PubChem : 11769948 , ChemSpider : 9944631 , Wikidata : Q27278236 .
3. ↑ H. Grew: A treatise on the nature and use of the bitter purging salt. London 1697.
4. ↑ Barbara I. Tshisuaka: Grew, Nehemiah. In: Werner E. Gerabek , Bernhard D. Haage, Gundolf Keil , Wolfgang Wegner (eds.): Enzyklopädie Medizingeschichte. De Gruyter, Berlin / New York 2005, ISBN 3-11-015714-4 , p. 510.
5. ↑ C. Schmuck, B. Engels, T. Schirmeister, R. Fink: Chemistry for medical professionals. Pearson Studium, Hallbergmoos 2008, ISBN 978-3-8273-7286-4 , p. 164
6. ↑ Anatomical-therapeutic-chemical classification with daily doses. Official version of the ATC index with DDD data for Germany in 2011. p. 160.
7. ↑ Thomas Ziegenfuß: Emergency Medicine . 5th edition. P. 299
8. ↑ Thomas Ziegenfuß: Emergency Medicine . 5th edition. P. 330

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