Cobalt(II) sulfate


Cobalt sulfate is any of the inorganic compounds with the formula CoSO4x. Usually cobalt sulfate refers to the hydrate CoSO4.7H2O, which is one of the most commonly available salts of cobalt.

Properties, preparation, and structure

Cobalt sulfate heptahydrate appears as red monoclinic crystals that liquify around 100 °C and become anhydrous at 250 °C. It is soluble in water, slightly soluble in ethanol, and especially soluble in methanol. The salts are paramagnetic.
It forms by the reaction of metallic cobalt, its oxide, hydroxide, or carbonate with aqueous sulfuric acid.
The hexahydrate is a metal aquo complex consisting of octahedral 2+ ions associated with sulfate anions.

Uses

Cobalt is obtained from ores via the sulfate in many cases.
Hydrated cobalt sulfate is used in the preparation of pigments, as well as in the manufacture of other cobalt salts. Cobalt pigment is used in porcelains and glass. Cobalt sulfate is used in storage batteries and electroplating baths, sympathetic inks, and as an additive to soils and animal feeds. For these purposes, the cobalt sulfate is produced by treating cobalt oxide with sulfuric acid.

Health issues

Cobalt is an essential mineral for mammals, but more than a few milligrams each day is harmful. Although poisonings have rarely resulted from cobalt compounds, their chronic ingestion has caused serious health problems at doses far less than the lethal dose. In 1966, the addition a cobalt compound to stabilize beer foam in Canada led to a peculiar form of toxin-induced cardiomyopathy, which came to be known as beer drinker's cardiomyopathy.
Furthermore, cobalt sulfate is suspected of causing cancer as per the International Agency for Research on Cancer Monographs. ]