Chemical name: ferrous sulfate or Iron(II) sulfate
IUPAC name: Iron(II) sulfate
Formula: FeSO4
Appearance: White crystals (anhydrous), White-yellow crystals (monohydrate), Blue-green crystals (heptahydrate)
Uses:
- Industrially, ferrous sulfate is mainly used as a precursor to other iron compounds.
- It is a reducing agent, and as such is useful for the reduction of chromate in cement to less toxic Cr(III) compounds.
- Historically ferrous sulfate was used in the textile industry for centuries as a dye fixative.
- It is used historically to blacken leather and as a constituent of ink.