Na2SO4

Sodium sulfate · Thenardite, Glauber's salt

Sodium sulfate is a stable, insulating inorganic salt widely utilized as a key industrial chemical in the manufacturing of detergents and glass.

NaOS
Crystal structure of Na2SO4
Ground-state structure · Materials Project
Overview

About Sodium sulfate

Sodium sulfate is a robust, thermodynamically stable compound that exists as a wide-gap insulator. Its structural versatility is highlighted by the numerous distinct crystalline forms documented across scientific databases, reflecting its complex phase behavior under varying environmental conditions.

This material serves as a critical commodity chemical in global industry. Due to its chemical stability and solubility characteristics, it is an essential component in the production of powdered detergents, paper pulp, and specialized glass, where it acts as a refining agent to remove air bubbles.

At a glance

Key Properties

Cross-validated computational properties for Sodium sulfate, aggregated across 3 databases.

Band Gap

0.18–5.03 eV
Range across DFT structures

Energy Above Hull

0.000 eV/atom
Best (lowest) across sources

Stability

On hull (stable)
2 DFT sources

Structures

19
3 databases, 5 space groups
Uses

Applications

Where Sodium sulfate is used.

Detergent manufacturingKraft process for paper pulpGlass productionTextile dyeingFood additive
Reference

Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about Sodium sulfate, answered from cross-validated data.

What is Na2SO4?

Sodium sulfate is a stable, insulating inorganic salt widely utilized as a key industrial chemical in the manufacturing of detergents and glass.

More questions
What is Na2SO4 used for?
Sodium sulfate (Na2SO4) is used in detergent manufacturing, kraft process for paper pulp, glass production, textile dyeing, and food additive.
What is the band gap of Na2SO4?
Sodium sulfate (Na2SO4) has a DFT-computed band gap of 0.18–5.03 eV across 19 reported structures.
Is Na2SO4 a metal, semiconductor, or insulator?
With a wide band gap up to 5.03 eV it is an insulator / wide-band-gap material.
Is Na2SO4 thermodynamically stable?
Yes — Sodium sulfate (Na2SO4) sits on the convex hull (energy above hull 0 eV/atom), i.e. on hull (stable).
How many polymorphs of Na2SO4 are known?
19 structures of Na2SO4 are reported across 3 databases, spanning 5 distinct space groups.
What elements does Na2SO4 contain?
Sodium sulfate (Na2SO4) contains Na, O, and S (3 elements).
Where does the data for Na2SO4 come from?
Na2SO4 data is cross-referenced from latticegraph.
Comparison

How It Compares

As a highly stable and well-documented inorganic salt, this compound serves as a foundational reference material for studies involving sodium-based sulfur-containing systems, representing a benchmark for thermodynamic stability within its chemical family.

Data sources & attribution
  • latticegraph — Lattice Graph Materials Intelligence Platform

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