aluminum sulfate

noun

, Chemistry.

1. a white, crystalline, water-soluble solid, Al 2 (SO 4 ) 3 , used chiefly as a water-purifying agent, as a mordant, and as a size in the manufacture of paper.

Word History and Origins

Origin of aluminum sulfate¹

First recorded in 1865–70

Example Sentences

Vitriol is copper or iron sulfate, saltpeter is potassium nitrate, and alum is an aluminum sulfate salt.

From Project Gutenberg