Various Uses Of Aluminum Sulfate

Aluminum sulfate has many different uses in everyday life and is used in several important industries. In fact, you might come into contact with it every day without finding it!

Household use

Some of the most common use of aluminum sulfate are found in the house. These compounds are often found in baking soda, although there are some controversies about whether it is appropriate to add aluminum to a diet. 

Some antiperspirants contain aluminum sulfate because of their antibacterial nature, although in 2005 FDA did not recognize it as a wetness reducer. Finally, the compound is the astringent ingredient in styptic pencils, which are designed to stop small cuts from bleeding. You can buy aluminum sulfate for sale online for various purposes.

Gardening

The interesting use of aluminum sulfate around the house is in gardening. Because aluminum sulfate is very acidic, sometimes added to the soil that is very alkaline to balance the pH for plants. When aluminum sulfates come into contact with water, it forms aluminum hydroxide and a dilute solution of sulfuric acid, which changes the acidity of the soil. Gardeners who plant hydrangeas apply this property to change the flower color (blue or pink) of the hydrangeas since this plant is very sensitive to soil pH.

 Water Treatment

One of the most important uses of aluminum sulfate is in water treatment and purification. When added to water, it causes microscopic impurities to clump together into larger and larger particles. These clumps of impurities will then settle to the bottom of the container or at least get large enough to filter them out of the water. This makes the water safer to drink. On the same principle, aluminum sulfate is also sometimes used in swimming pools to decrease the cloudiness of the water.