ammonium sulphate

Description

Ammonium sulphate is used largely as an artificial fertilizer for alkaline soils. In the soil the sulfate ion is released and forms bisulfate, lowering the pH balance of the soil (as do other sulfate compounds such as aluminium sulfate), while contributing essential nitrogen for plant growth. It is also used as an agricultural spray adjuvant for water soluble insecticides, herbicides, and fungicides. There it functions to bind iron and calcium cations that are present in both well water and plant cells. It is particularly effective as an adjuvant for 2, *-D (amine), glyphosate, and glufosinate herbicides. It is also used in the preparation of other ammonium salts. In biochemistry, ammonium sulfate precipitation is a common method for purifying proteins by precipitation. As such, ammonium sulfate is also listed as an ingredient for many United States vaccines per the Center for Disease Control. Ammonium sulphate is also a food additive. A saturated solution of ammonium sulfate in heavy water (D2O) is used as an external standard in sulfur (*3S) NMR spectroscopy with shift value of 0 ppm. It has also been used in flame retardant compositions acting much like Diammonium phosphate. As a flame retardant, it lowers the combustion temperature of the material, decreases maximum weight loss rates, and causes an increase in the production of residue or char.