Vitriol is the general chemical name encompassing a class of chemical compounds comprising sulfates of certain metals – originally, iron or copper. Those mineral substances were distinguished by their color, such as green vitriol for hydrated iron(II) sulfate and blue vitriol for hydrated copper(II) sulfate.[1]
These materials were found originally as crystals formed by evaporation of groundwater that percolated through sulfide minerals and collected in pools on the floors of old mines. The word vitriol comes from the Latin word vitriolus, meaning "small glass", as those crystals resembled small pieces of colored glass.
Oil of vitriol was an old name for concentrated sulfuric acid, which was historically obtained through the dry distillation (pyrolysis) of vitriols. The name, abbreviated to vitriol, continued to be used for this viscous liquid long after the minerals came to be termed "sulfates". The figurative term vitriolic in the sense of "harshly condemnatory" is derived from the corrosive nature of this substance.
Vitriol
Chemical
Comment
Formula
Image
Black vitriol
Sulfate • Heptahydrate ( Hydrated Sulfate)[A]
[Cu,Mg,Fe,Mn,Co,Ni]SO4·7H2O[B]
Blue vitriol/Vitriol of Cyprus/Roman vitriol[2]
copper(II) sulfate
pentahydrate
CuSO4·5H2O
Green vitriol/Copperas
iron(II) sulfate
heptahydrate
FeSO4·7H2O
Oil of vitriol/Spirit of vitriol
sulfuric acid
acid
H2SO4
Red vitriol
cobalt(II) sulfate
heptahydrate
CoSO4·7H2O
Sweet oil of vitriol
diethyl ether
Not a sulfate, but can be synthesized from sulfuric acid and ethanol[3]
CH3-CH2-O-CH2-CH3
Vitriol of argile/Vitriol of clay
aluminium sulfate
alum
Al2(SO4)3
Vitriol of Mars
iron(III) sulfate
Ferric sulfate
Fe2(SO4)3
White vitriol
zinc sulfate
heptahydrate
ZnSO4·7H2O
A Many websites state that black vitriol "is a mixture of iron sulfate and iron sulfite", but none give a reference of any sort. The book, Chemistry, Inorganic & Organic, with Experiments, by Bloxam[4] is a published, reliable reference for the composition of black vitriol, and it states on page 513, "The formula of black vitriol may be written [CuMgFeMnCoNi]SO4·7H2O, the six isomorphous metals being interchangeable without altering the general character of the salt."
B "Any combination of these elements may be found in black vitriol."[4]
^"Vitriol" entry in the online Encyclopaedia Britannica. Accessed on 2020-08-28.
^Roman vitriol on Chembk CAS Database
^"Synthesis of Ethers".
^ abBloxam, Charles Loudon; Bloxam, Arthur G.; Lewis, S. Judd (1913). "Copper, Cu = 63.57". Chemistry, Inorganic & Organic, with Experiments (Tenth ed.). Philadelphia: P. Blakiston's Son & Co. p. 513. The formula of black vitriol may be written [CuMgFeMnCoNi]SO4·7H2O, the six isomorphous metals being interchangeable without altering the general character of the salt.
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