Copper nitrate
Description
Large green blue, deliquescent crystals. Copper nitrate is used to colorize metals. It gives a blackened, or antique, look to Copper and turns Zinc brown. Additionally it is used to brighten Aluminum and burnish Iron. Copper nitrate is used as a mordant and oxidizing agent in textile dyeing. It is used as a pigment for Glass, enamels, and ceramics. Because of its toxicity, it is also used as a Fungicide, and wood preservative.
Synonyms and Related Terms
cupric nitrate
Other Properties
Soluble in water, ethyl acetate, dioxane, ether, ethanol.
Deliquescent, orthorhombic crystals.
| Composition | Cu(NO3)2 |
|---|---|
| CAS | 3521-23-8 |
| Melting Point | 255-256 |
| Density | 2.32 |
| Molecular Weight | mol. wt. = 187.56 |
Hazards and Safety
Toxic by ingestion and inhalation. Skin contact causes irritation. Strongly oxidizing - contact with organic materials may cause combustion or explosion.
Mallinckrodt Baker: MSDS
Authority
- Richard S. Lewis, Hawley's Condensed Chemical Dictionary, Van Nostrand Reinhold, New York, 10th ed., 1993
- Michael McCann, Artist Beware, Watson-Guptill Publications, New York City, 1979
- The Merck Index, Martha Windholz (ed.), Merck Research Labs, Rahway NJ, 10th edition, 1983 Comment: entry 2710