Ammonium magnesium sulfate is a
chemical compound
A chemical compound is a chemical substance composed of many identical molecules (or molecular entities) containing atoms from more than one chemical element held together by chemical bonds. A molecule consisting of atoms of only one element ...
with the chemical formula . It forms hydrates.
Synthesis
The compound is prepared by reduction of
ammonium persulfate
Ammonium persulfate (APS) is the inorganic compound with the formula (NH4)2S2O8. It is a colourless (white) salt that is highly soluble in water, much more so than the related potassium salt. It is a strong oxidizing agent that is used as a cataly ...
with magnesium metal.
Physical properties
Ammonium magnesium sulfate forms crystals, soluble in water.
The compound forms a crystallohydrate containing —colorless crystals of
monoclinic system, space group ''P''21''/c'', coordinate parameters ''a'' = 0.928 nm, ''b'' = 1.257 nm, ''c'' = 0.620 nm, ''β'' = 107.1°, Z = 4.
Natural occurrence
Ammonium magnesium sulfate hexahydrate naturally occurs as
Boussingaultite, a rare mineral of
picromerite group, originally described from geothermal fields in
Tuscany, Italy
Tuscany ( ; ) is a Regions of Italy, region in central Italy with an area of about and a population of 3,660,834 inhabitants as of 2025. The capital city is Florence.
Tuscany is known for its landscapes, history, artistic legacy, and its in ...
, where it occurs together with its iron analogue
mohrite.
See also
*
Mohr's salt
References
{{ammonium salts
Ammonium compounds
Sulfates
Magnesium compounds