Sulphate Segments

Aluminium sulfate is used as a mordant in dyeing and printing textiles. It is a common vaccine adjuvant and works "by facilitating the slow release of antigen from the vaccine depot formed at the site of inoculation." Aluminium sulfate is used in water purification and for chemical phosphorus removal from wastewater.

Ammonium sulphate is widely used as a sulphur (S) fertilizer, constituting about 50% of global S use. Within nitrogen (N) management, it is well known that ammonium-based fertilizers are subject to ammonia (NH3) volatilization in soils with pH > 7, but this has been overlooked in decision making on S fertilization.

Copper sulfate is used as a drying agent in the anhydrous form, as an additive for fertilizers and foods, and several industrial applications such as textiles, leather, wood, batteries, ink, petroleum, paint, and metal, among others. It is used also as an animal nutritional supplement.

Ferrous sulfate is a blue-green chemical used in many applications including medicine, ink and dye manufacturing, as well as agriculture. It can be found in various states of hydration, and several of these forms exist in nature.

The dominant use of potassium sulfate is as a fertilizer. K2SO4 does not contain chloride, which can be harmful to some crops. Potassium sulfate is preferred for these crops, which include tobacco and some fruits and vegetables. Crops that are less sensitive may still require potassium sulfate for optimal growth if the soil accumulates chloride from irrigation water.

The crude salt is also used occasionally in the manufacture of glass. Potassium sulfate is also used as a flash reducer in artillery propellant charges. It reduces muzzle flash, flareback and blast overpressure.

It is sometimes used as an alternative blast media similar to soda in soda blasting as it is harder and similarly water-soluble.

Potassium sulfate can also be used in pyrotechnics in combination with potassium nitrate to generate a purple flame.

A 5% solution of potassium sulfate was used in the beginning of the 20th century as a topical mosquito repellent.

Sodium sulphate is used to dry organic liquids. As a filler in powdered home laundry detergents. As a fining agent which removes small air bubbles from molten glass. Glauber's salt, the decahydrate, was used as a laxative which removes certain drugs such as acetaminophen from the body.

Sodium thiosulfate (sodium thiosulphate) is an inorganic compound with the formula Na2S2O3·xH2O, where x indicates the number of water molecules in the compound .[clarification needed] Typically it is available as the white or colorless pentahydrate, Na2S2O3·5H2O. The solid is an efflorescent (loses water readily) crystalline substance that dissolves well in water.

Sodium thiosulfate is used in gold mining, water treatment, analytical chemistry, the development of silver-based photographic film and prints, and medicine. The medical uses of sodium thiosulfate include treatment of cyanide poisoning and pityriasis.