Thermal decomposition of iron(II) sulphate heptahydrate in the presence of alkali metal carbonates

Abstract

The thermal decomposition of iron(II) sulphate heptahydrate was carried out in air under dynamic conditions in the presence of lithium, sodium, potassium and rubidium carbonates. The decomposition path in the presence of lithium carbonate differs from that in the presence of the other carbonates. In the presence of lithium carbonate, the heptahydrate loses all the water molecules before entering into reaction with the carbonate. The anhydrous sulphate then reacts with the carbonate, presumably to form iron(II) carbonate, which in turn undergoes decomposition — oxidation via magnetic oxide to ferric oxide. In the case of the other carbonates, iron(II) sulphate enters into reaction with the carbonate in question even before dehydration is complete, to form ferrous carbonate, which in turn reacts with the moisture still present to form green iron(II) hydroxide. This compound then undergoes decomposition — oxidation reactions via magnetic oxide to ferric oxide.