BERYLLIUM SULFATE TETRAHYDRATE

Chemical properties

colourless crystals

Physical properties

Beryllium sulfate is a colorless crystalline solid with a tetragonal crystal system.The tetrahydrate salt loses water of crystallization on heating to about 110°C to form a dihydrate. Upon heating to 400°C, it then forms the anhydrate. Further heating to 550°C causes decomposition of the anhydrate to BeO and SO2 and O2. Beryllium sulfate is soluble in water, tetrahydrate being more soluble in water (30.5 g/100 ml at 30°C) than the anhydrous salt; both are insoluble in alcohol.

The Uses of BERYLLIUM SULFATE TETRAHYDRATE

In Industries it is used for beryllium salt making, ceramics and chemical reagents.

Preparation

Beryllium sulfate may be prepared by treating an aqueous solution of any beryllium salt with sulfuric acid, followed by evaporation of the solution and crystallization. The hydrated product may be converted to anhydrous salt by heating at 400°C. The anhydrate may also be prepared by reacting the oxide with SO2 gas at elevated temperature. Its CAS number is 13510-49-1. If the solution method is used, a tetrahydrate forms, (BeOH)2SO4·4H2O whose molecular weight is 177.1462 g/mol with a CAS number of 7787-56-6.
No major commercial application of berylliumsulfate is known and it has not been offered for sale.

Definition

ChEBI: A hydrate of beryllium sulfate containing beryllium (in +2 oxidation state), sulfate and water moieties in the ratio 1:1:4.

General Description

White crystalline solid. Sinks in water and dissolves. Odorless. Highly toxic by inhalation and ingestion.

Air & Water Reactions

Water soluble.

Reactivity Profile

Salts, basic, such as BERYLLIUM SULFATE TETRAHYDRATE are generally soluble in water. The resulting solutions contain moderate concentrations of hydroxide ions and have pH's greater than 7.0. They react as bases to neutralize acids. These neutralizations generate heat, but less or far less than is generated by neutralization of the bases in reactivity group 10 (Bases) and the neutralization of amines. They usually do not react as either oxidizing agents or reducing agents but such behavior is not impossible. Incompatible with acids.

Fire Hazard

Literature sources indicate that BERYLLIUM SULFATE TETRAHYDRATE is probably nonflammable.

Safety Profile

Confirmed carcinogen withexperimental carcinogenic data by inhalation. Deadlypoison by subcutaneous and intravenous routes. Humanmutation data reported. When heated todecomposition it emits very toxic fumes of BeO and SOx.

Purification Methods

It crystallises from weak aqueous H2SO4 and is dried in air.