Copper nitrate

Copper(II) nitrate crystals

Description

Large green blue, deliquescent crystals made synthetically by treating coper metal or oxide with nitric acid. Copper nitrate is most often 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

copper (II) nitrate; cupric nitrate;

Risks

• Toxic by ingestion and inhalation.
• Skin contact causes irritation.
• Strongly oxidizing - contact with organic materials may cause combustion or explosion.
• ThermoFisher: SDS

Physical and Chemical Properties

• Composition = Cu(NO3)2 (mol. wt. = 187.56)
• CAS = 3521-23-8
• Melting Point = 255-256 C
• Density = 2.32 g/ml
• Soluble in water, ethyl acetate, dioxane, ether, ethanol.
• Deliquescent, orthorhombic crystals.

Resources and Citations

• 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
• Wikipedia: Copper(II) nitrate Accessed March 2025