Zinc Sulfate Heptahydrate

Discover the applications, dosages, and advantages of zinc sulfate heptahydrate in agriculture, feed, textiles, electrogalvanizing, flotation, pharmaceuticals, and water treatment.

What is Zinc Sulfate Heptahydrate?

Zinc sulfate heptahydrate (ZnSO₄·7H₂O) is a water-soluble salt of zinc. It exists in white crystalline/powder form and is preferred in numerous industries, from agriculture and textiles to metal plating and mineral processing.

Main Areas of Application

Agriculture (Plant Nutrition and Foliar Fertilizers)

• Zinc source: Used in the form of soil application, fertirrigation, or foliar application to correct zinc deficiency. It can increase yield and quality, especially in plants with high zinc sensitivity such as wheat, corn, and rice.

Animal Feed Industry (Feeding)

• Trace mineral supplementation: Used in rations to prevent zinc deficiency, support immunity and growth; common in premixes. (Dosages are subject to national/international feed regulations.)

Textiles and Paper (Mordant, Finishing)

• Mordants in dyeing: Used to improve dye adhesion to fibers and color fastness. Can contribute to improving texture and appearance of paper.

• Leather tanning and preservation: ZnSO₄ is used as a tanning/co-tanning agent in some leather processing processes.

Metal Coating / Electrogalvanizing

• As an electrolyte: It acts as an electrolyte in zinc plating baths; zinc-coated surfaces are critical in production for corrosion resistance.

Mineral Enrichment (Depressant in Flotation)

• Sulfide ore flotation: This is a common chemical for the selective depression (inhibition of buoyancy) of minerals such as sphalerite (ZnS); it plays a critical role in Cu-Pb-Zn complex ore separations. Scientific publications show that ZnSO₄ suppresses sphalerite by forming hydrophilic species on the surface.

Resin/Fiber and Chemical Industry

• It is used as a coagulant in rayon production, as a lithopone pigment precursor, and as a raw material/reagent in various chemical syntheses.

Water and Surface Applications

• Some supplier technical data sheets include references to water treatment/surface applications such as algae/biofilm control.