This MedLibrary.org supplementary page on Zinc hydroxide is provided directly from the open source Wikipedia as a service to our readers. Please see the note below on authorship of this content, as well as the Wikipedia usage guidelines. To search for other content from our encyclopedia supplement, please use the form below:
Related Sponsors
| Zinc hydroxide | |
|---|---|
| Identifiers | |
| CAS number | 20427-58-1 |
| Properties | |
| Molecular formula | Zn(OH)2 |
| Molar mass | 99.39 g/mol |
| Appearance | white powder |
| Density | 3.053 g/cm3, solid |
| Melting point |
125°C (decomposition) |
| Solubility in water | Ksp = 4.5 x 10^-17 |
| Hazards | |
| EU classification | not listed |
| NFPA 704 |
 0
3
0
|
| Except where noted otherwise, data are given for materials in their standard state (at 25 °C, 100 kPa) Infobox references |
|
Zinc hydroxide Zn(OH)2 is an inorganic chemical compound. It also occurs naturally as 3 rare minerals: wülfingite (orthorhombic), ashoverite and sweetite (both tetragonal).
It is unusual in that, like zinc oxide, it is amphoteric. Thus it will dissolve readily in a dilute solution of a strong acid, such as HCl, and also in a solution of sodium hydroxide.
It can be prepared by adding sodium hydroxide solution, but not in excess, to a solution of any zinc salt. A white precipitate will be seen: Zn2+ + 2OH- → Zn(OH)2.
If excess sodium hydroxide is added, the precipitate of zinc hydroxide will dissolve, forming a colorless solution of zincate ion: Zn(OH)2 + 2OH- → Zn(OH)42-. This property can be used as a test for zinc ions in solution, but it is not exclusive, since aluminum and lead compounds behave in a very similar manner.
One major use is as an absorbent in surgical dressings.
References
 |
This article does not cite any references or sources. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unverifiable material may be challenged and removed. (September 2007) |
 |
This inorganic compound-related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |
Wikipedia content modification information:
- This page was last modified on 10 October 2008, at 17:03.
Wikipedia Authorship and Review
Wikipedia content provided here is not reviewed directly by MedLibrary.org. Wikipedia content is authored by an open community of volunteers and is not produced by or in any way affiliated with MedLibrary.org.
Wikipedia Usage Guidelines
This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article on "Zinc hydroxide".
The URL for this specific entry is:
All Wikipedia text is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License. (See Copyrights for details). Wikipedia® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc.