Liver of sulfur

Liver of sulfur

P03AA02

Yellow -green to liverbrown odor of hydrogen sulfide solids

Fixed

1.65 g · cm -3

200-250 ° C

Well in water (500 g · l -1)

Risk

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Liver of sulfur or hepar sulph is an old name for a mixture of potassium sulfide, Kaliumpolysulfiden, potassium and potassium sulphate. They are obtained by the fusion of potassium carbonate ( potash) and sulfur absence of air at 250 ° C.

The name goes back to the liver- brown color of the mixture.

Properties

Aqueous solutions of sulfur liver slowly excrete sulfur (sulfur milk ) and gaseous, toxic hydrogen sulfide ( H2S) from. This decomposition also takes place, although more slowly, when liver of sulfur is not stored under exclusion of air.

Use

Liver of sulfur is medically ( as so-called: Potassium sulfuratum per balneo ) for the production of sulfur baths at various skin diseases (especially fungal infections ) were used. Compared to earlier, the use actually declined. In addition, the mixture is used in various pickling and dyeing method. In black and white photography is a weak solution stabilizes the processed film and reddish brown toned.

In the metal processing liver of sulfur was used to blackening of copper or silver with decorative and jewelery.

Even today it is used in occupational therapy to produce copper images.

Historical

The Swedish chemist Carl Wilhelm Scheele used liver of sulfur in his experiments to determine the composition of the air. In his 1777 published manuscript Chemical Observations from the air and the fire he concluded from an experiment with an aqueous solution of liver of sulfur, "the air must be-ing of elastic fluids of zweyerley kind, composed ", one of which fire air is (oxygen).

The first published already in 1697 Heparprobe was given this name because in this test reaction, a compound is formed, which reminds the color scheme of the liver of sulfur.