List of alchemical substances
Encyclopedia
Alchemical
studies produced a number of substances, which were later classified
as particular chemical compounds
or mixtures of compounds.
Many of these terms were in common use into the 20th century.
Alchemy
Alchemy is an influential philosophical tradition whose early practitioners’ claims to profound powers were known from antiquity. The defining objectives of alchemy are varied; these include the creation of the fabled philosopher's stone possessing powers including the capability of turning base...
studies produced a number of substances, which were later classified
Systematic name
A systematic name is a name given in a systematic way to one unique group, organism, object or chemical substance, out of a specific population or collection...
as particular chemical compounds
Chemical compound
A chemical compound is a pure chemical substance consisting of two or more different chemical elements that can be separated into simpler substances by chemical reactions. Chemical compounds have a unique and defined chemical structure; they consist of a fixed ratio of atoms that are held together...
or mixtures of compounds.
Many of these terms were in common use into the 20th century.
- Aqua FortisAqua fortisAqua fortis, or "strong water," in alchemy, is a solution of nitric acid in water. Being highly corrosive, the solution was used in alchemy for dissolving silver and most other metals with the notable exception of gold, which can only be dissolved using aqua regia...
- nitric acidNitric acidNitric acid , also known as aqua fortis and spirit of nitre, is a highly corrosive and toxic strong acid.Colorless when pure, older samples tend to acquire a yellow cast due to the accumulation of oxides of nitrogen. If the solution contains more than 86% nitric acid, it is referred to as fuming...
, can be formed by 2 parts saltpetrePotassium nitratePotassium nitrate is a chemical compound with the formula KNO3. It is an ionic salt of potassium ions K+ and nitrate ions NO3−.It occurs as a mineral niter and is a natural solid source of nitrogen. Its common names include saltpetre , from medieval Latin sal petræ: "stone salt" or possibly "Salt...
in 1 part (pure) oil of vitrol (sulfuric acidSulfuric acidSulfuric acid is a strong mineral acid with the molecular formula . Its historical name is oil of vitriol. Pure sulfuric acid is a highly corrosive, colorless, viscous liquid. The salts of sulfuric acid are called sulfates...
). (Historically, this process could not have been used, as 98% oil of vitrol was not available) - Aqua Ragia/Spirit of turpentine/Oil of turpentine/Gum turpentine - turpentineTurpentineTurpentine is a fluid obtained by the distillation of resin obtained from trees, mainly pine trees. It is composed of terpenes, mainly the monoterpenes alpha-pinene and beta-pinene...
, formed by the distillation of pinePinePines are trees in the genus Pinus ,in the family Pinaceae. They make up the monotypic subfamily Pinoideae. There are about 115 species of pine, although different authorities accept between 105 and 125 species.-Etymology:...
tree resinResinResin in the most specific use of the term is a hydrocarbon secretion of many plants, particularly coniferous trees. Resins are valued for their chemical properties and associated uses, such as the production of varnishes, adhesives, and food glazing agents; as an important source of raw materials...
. - Aqua RegiaAqua regiaAqua regia or aqua regis is a highly corrosive mixture of acids, fuming yellow or red solution, also called nitro-hydrochloric acid. The mixture is formed by freshly mixing concentrated nitric acid and hydrochloric acid, usually in a volume ratio of 1:3, respectively...
(Latin: "royal water") - a mixture of aqua fortis and spirit of salt. - Aqua Tofani - arsenic trioxideArsenic trioxideArsenic trioxide is the inorganic compound with the formula As2O3. This commercially important oxide of arsenic is the main precursor to other arsenic compounds, including organoarsenic compounds. Approximately 50,000 tonnes are produced annually...
. Extremely poisonous. - Aqua vitaeAqua vitaeAqua vitae, or aqua vita, is an archaic name for a concentrated aqueous solution of ethanol. The term was in wide use during the Middle Ages, although its origin is undoubtedly much earlier having been used by Saint Patrick and his fellow monks to refer to both the alcohol and the waters of baptism...
/Spirit of Wine - ethanolEthanolEthanol, also called ethyl alcohol, pure alcohol, grain alcohol, or drinking alcohol, is a volatile, flammable, colorless liquid. It is a psychoactive drug and one of the oldest recreational drugs. Best known as the type of alcohol found in alcoholic beverages, it is also used in thermometers, as a...
, formed by distilling wine - Auric HydroxideGold(III) hydroxideGold hydroxide, gold trihydroxide, or gold hydroxide is an inorganic compound, a hydroxide of gold, with formula Au3. It is also called auric acid with formula H3AuO3. It is easily dehydrated above 140 °C to gold oxide. Salts of auric acid are termed aurates.Gold hydroxide is used in medicine,...
- formed by precipitation by potash from gold dissolved in aqua regia. - BismuthBismuthBismuth is a chemical element with symbol Bi and atomic number 83. Bismuth, a trivalent poor metal, chemically resembles arsenic and antimony. Elemental bismuth may occur naturally uncombined, although its sulfide and oxide form important commercial ores. The free element is 86% as dense as lead...
(German: Wismuth) - BlendeBlendeBlende may refer to:* Sphalerite , the most common usage* Hornblende* Pitchblende* an alternative name for Rana Niejta...
- Blue Vitriol/BluestoneBluestoneBluestone is a cultural or commercial name for a number of dimension or building stone varieties, including:*a feldspathic sandstone in the U.S. and Canada;*limestone in the Shenandoah Valley in the U.S...
- A mineral; copper(II) sulfate pentahydrate. - BrimstoneBrimstoneBrimstone is an alternative name for sulfur. It may also refer to:* Fire and brimstone, an idiomatic expression of signs of God's wrath in the Bible* Brimstone , a DC Comics character...
- sulfurSulfurSulfur or sulphur is the chemical element with atomic number 16. In the periodic table it is represented by the symbol S. It is an abundant, multivalent non-metal. Under normal conditions, sulfur atoms form cyclic octatomic molecules with chemical formula S8. Elemental sulfur is a bright yellow...
. - Flowers of sulfurFlowers of sulfurFlowers of sulfur or sublimed sulfur are yellow flakes of sulfur. It has been used in traditional and alternative medicine for humans and animals, as well as in alchemy and sulfuring fruit before drying....
- formed by distilling sulfur. - Butter (or oil) of antimony - antimony trichlorideAntimony trichlorideAntimony trichloride is the chemical compound with the formula SbCl3. The soft colorless solid with a pungent odor was known to the alchemists as butter of antimony.-Preparation:...
. Formed by distilling roasted stibniteStibniteStibnite, sometimes called antimonite, is a sulfide mineral with the formula Sb2S3. This soft grey material crystallizes in an orthorhombic space group. It is the most important source for the metalloid antimony...
with corrosive sublimate, or dissolving stibniteStibniteStibnite, sometimes called antimonite, is a sulfide mineral with the formula Sb2S3. This soft grey material crystallizes in an orthorhombic space group. It is the most important source for the metalloid antimony...
in hot concentrated hydrochloric acid and distilling. - CadmiaCadmiaIn alchemy, cadmia , is an oxide of zinc which collects on the sides of furnaces where copper or brass was smelted, and zinc sublimed...
/TuttiaTuttiaTuttia is a genus of skippers in the family Hesperiidae.-References:*...
/Tutty - probably zinc carbonate. - CalamineCalamineCalamine is a mixture of zinc oxide with about 0.5% ferric oxide . It is the main ingredient in calamine lotion and is used as an antipruritic to treat mild pruritic conditions such as sunburn, eczema, rashes, poison ivy, chickenpox, and insect bites and stings...
- zinc carbonate. - Calomel/Horn Quicksilver/horn mercury - mercury(I) chlorideMercury(I) chlorideMercury chloride is the chemical compound with the formula Hg2Cl2. Also known as calomel or mercurous chloride, this dense white or yellowish-white, odorless solid is the principal example of a mercury compound...
, a very poisonous purgative formed by subliming a mixture of mercuric chloride and metallic mercury, triturated in a mortar and heated in an iron pot. The crust formed on the lid was ground to powder and boiled with water to remove the calomel. - Caustic potash/Caustic Wood Alkali - potassium hydroxidePotassium hydroxidePotassium hydroxide is an inorganic compound with the formula KOH, commonly called caustic potash.Along with sodium hydroxide , this colorless solid is a prototypical strong base. It has many industrial and niche applications. Most applications exploit its reactivity toward acids and its corrosive...
, formed by adding lime to potash. - Caustic Soda/Caustic Marine Alkali - sodium hydroxide, formed by adding lime to natron.
- Caustic Volatile Alkali - ammonium hydroxideAmmonium hydroxideAmmonia solution, also known as ammonium hydroxide, ammonia water, ammonical liquor, ammonia liquor, aqua ammonia, aqueous ammonia, or simply ammonia, is a solution of ammonia in water. It can be denoted by the symbols NH3...
. - ChalkChalkChalk is a soft, white, porous sedimentary rock, a form of limestone composed of the mineral calcite. Calcite is calcium carbonate or CaCO3. It forms under reasonably deep marine conditions from the gradual accumulation of minute calcite plates shed from micro-organisms called coccolithophores....
- a rock composed of porous biogenic calcium carbonateCalcium carbonateCalcium carbonate is a chemical compound with the formula CaCO3. It is a common substance found in rocks in all parts of the world, and is the main component of shells of marine organisms, snails, coal balls, pearls, and eggshells. Calcium carbonate is the active ingredient in agricultural lime,...
. - Chrome green - chromic oxide and cobalt oxideCobalt oxideCobalt oxide may refer to*Cobalt oxide - CoO*Cobalt oxide - Co2O3*Cobalt oxide - Co3O4...
. - Chrome orangeChrome orangeChrome orange, also known as chrome red, is an orange pigment which consists of lead chromate and lead oxide. . Chrome orange can be made by precipitating lead together with chromate in a basic solution or by treating chrome yellow with lye...
- chrome yellow and chrome red. - Chrome red - basic lead chromate - PbCrO4+PbO.
- Chrome yellowChrome yellowChrome Yellow is a natural yellow pigment made of lead chromate . It was first extracted from the mineral crocoite by the French chemist Louis Vauquelin in 1809...
/Paris Yellow/Leipzig Yellow - lead chromate - PbCrO4. - CinnabarCinnabarCinnabar or cinnabarite , is the common ore of mercury.-Word origin:The name comes from κινναβαρι , a Greek word most likely applied by Theophrastus to several distinct substances...
/VermilionVermilionVermilion is an opaque orangish red pigment, similar to scarlet. As a naturally occurring mineral pigment, it is known as cinnabar, and was in use around the world before the Common Era began. Most naturally produced vermilion comes from cinnabar mined in China, and vermilion is nowadays commonly...
- refers to several substances, among them: mercury(II) sulfide (HgS), or native vermilionVermilionVermilion is an opaque orangish red pigment, similar to scarlet. As a naturally occurring mineral pigment, it is known as cinnabar, and was in use around the world before the Common Era began. Most naturally produced vermilion comes from cinnabar mined in China, and vermilion is nowadays commonly...
(the common ore of mercuryMercury (element)Mercury is a chemical element with the symbol Hg and atomic number 80. It is also known as quicksilver or hydrargyrum...
). - Copper Glance - copper(I) sulfideCopper(I) sulfideCopper sulfide is a copper sulfide, a chemical compound of copper and sulfur. It has the chemical compound Cu2S. It is found in nature as the mineral chalcocite. It has a narrow range of stoichiometry ranging from Cu1.997S to Cu2.000S....
ore. - Corrosive sublimate - mercuric chloride, formed by subliming mercury, calcined green vitriol, common salt and nitre.
- CupriteCupriteCuprite is an oxide mineral composed of copper oxide Cu2O, and is a minor ore of copper.Its dark crystals with red internal reflections are in the isometric system hexoctahedral class, appearing as cubic, octahedral, or dodecahedral forms, or in combinations. Penetration twins frequently occur...
- copper(I) oxideCopper(I) oxideCopper oxide or cuprous oxide is the inorganic compound with the formula Cu2O. It is one of the principal oxides of copper. This red-coloured solid is a component of some antifouling paints. The compound can appear either yellow or red, depending on the size of the particles, but both forms...
ore. - Dutch White - a pigment, formed from one part of white lead to three of barium sulfateBarium sulfateBarium sulfate is the inorganic compound with the chemical formula BaSO4. It is a white crystalline solid that is odorless and insoluble in water. It occurs as the mineral barite, which is the main commercial source of barium and materials prepared from it...
. - Flowers of antimony - antimony trioxideAntimony trioxideAntimony trioxide is the inorganic compound with the formula Sb2O3. It is the most important commercial compound of antimony. It is found in nature as the minerals valentinite and senarmontite...
, formed by roasting stibniteStibniteStibnite, sometimes called antimonite, is a sulfide mineral with the formula Sb2S3. This soft grey material crystallizes in an orthorhombic space group. It is the most important source for the metalloid antimony...
at high temperature and condensing the white fumes that form. - Fool's gold - a mineral; iron disulfide or pyritePyriteThe mineral pyrite, or iron pyrite, is an iron sulfide with the formula FeS2. This mineral's metallic luster and pale-to-normal, brass-yellow hue have earned it the nickname fool's gold because of its resemblance to gold...
, can form oil of vitriol on contact with water and air. - Fulminating silverFulminating silverFulminating silver is the name given to a number of explosive silver-containing substances that "fulminate" or detonate easily and violently."Fulminating silver" has no exact chemical or dictionary definition.It may refer to:...
- silver nitrideSilver nitrideSilver nitride is an explosive chemical compound with symbol Ag3N. It is a black, metallic-looking solid which is formed when silver oxide or silver nitrate is dissolved in concentrated solutions of ammonia, causing formation of a silver-amide or imide complex which subsequently breaks down to Ag3N...
, formed by dissolving silver(I) oxideSilver(I) oxideSilver oxide is the chemical compound with the formula Ag2O. It is a fine black or dark brown powder that is used to prepare other silver compounds.-Preparation:...
in ammonia. Very explosive when dry. - Fulminating gold - gold hydrazide, formed by adding ammonia to the auric hydroxide. When dry, can explode on concussion.
- GalenaGalenaGalena is the natural mineral form of lead sulfide. It is the most important lead ore mineral.Galena is one of the most abundant and widely distributed sulfide minerals. It crystallizes in the cubic crystal system often showing octahedral forms...
- lead(II) sulfideLead(II) sulfideLead sulfide is an inorganic compound with the formula Pb. It finds limited use in electronic devices. PbS, also known as galena, is the principal ore and most important compound of lead....
. LeadLeadLead is a main-group element in the carbon group with the symbol Pb and atomic number 82. Lead is a soft, malleable poor metal. It is also counted as one of the heavy metals. Metallic lead has a bluish-white color after being freshly cut, but it soon tarnishes to a dull grayish color when exposed...
ore. - Glass of antimonyGlass of antimonyGlass of antimony, vitrum antimonii, is a transparent glass created from a preparation of antimony, historically used as an emetic. It was created using crude antimony, ground and calcined by a vehement fire, in an earthen crucible, until it no longer fumed, indicating that its sulfur was evaporated...
- impure antimony tetroxideAntimony tetroxideAntimony tetroxide is an inorganic compound with the formula Sb2O4. This material, which exists as the mineral cervantite, is white but reversibly yellows upon heating...
, formed by roasting stibnite. A yellow pigment for glass and porcelain. - Glauber's Salt - sodium sulfateSodium sulfateSodium sulfate is the sodium salt of sulfuric acid. When anhydrous, it is a white crystalline solid of formula Na2SO4 known as the mineral thenardite; the decahydrate Na2SO4·10H2O has been known as Glauber's salt or, historically, sal mirabilis since the 17th century. Another solid is the...
. - Green Vitriol - a mineral; iron(II) sulfateIron(II) sulfateIron sulfate or ferrous sulfate is the chemical compound with the formula FeSO4. Known since ancient times as copperas and as green vitriol, the blue-green heptahydrate is the most common form of this material...
heptahydrate. (or ferrous sulfate) - MarcasiteMarcasiteThe mineral marcasite, sometimes called white iron pyrite, is iron sulfide with orthorhombic crystal structure. It is physically and crystallographically distinct from pyrite, which is iron sulfide with cubic crystal structure. Both structures do have in common that they contain the disulfide...
- a mineral; iron disulfide. In moist air it turns into green vitriol. - RougeRougeRouge may refer to:*Rouge , a cosmetic used to color the cheeks and emphasize the cheekbones*Rouge , a 1987 Hong Kong film*Rouge , an online film journal...
/CrocusCrocusCrocus is a genus in the iris family comprising about 80 species of perennials growing from corms. Many are cultivated for their flowers appearing in autumn, winter, or spring...
/Colcothar - ferric oxide, formed by burning green vitriol in air. - Gum ArabicGum arabic220px|thumb|right|Acacia gumGum arabic, also known as acacia gum, chaar gund, char goond, or meska, is a natural gum made of hardened sap taken from two species of the acacia tree; Acacia senegal and Acacia seyal...
- gum from the Acacia tree. - GypsumGypsumGypsum is a very soft sulfate mineral composed of calcium sulfate dihydrate, with the chemical formula CaSO4·2H2O. It is found in alabaster, a decorative stone used in Ancient Egypt. It is the second softest mineral on the Mohs Hardness Scale...
- a mineral; calcium sulfateCalcium sulfateCalcium sulfate is a common laboratory and industrial chemical. In the form of γ-anhydrite , it is used as a desiccant. It is also used as a coagulant in products like tofu. In the natural state, unrefined calcium sulfate is a translucent, crystalline white rock...
. - Horn Silver/Argentum Cornu - a weathered form of chlorargyriteChlorargyriteChlorargyrite is the mineral form of silver chloride . Chlorargyrite occurs as a secondary mineral phase in the oxidation of silver mineral deposits. It crystallizes in the isometric - hexoctahedral crystal class. Typically massive to columnar in occurrence it also has been found as colorless to...
, an ore of silver chloride. - Luna cornea - silver chlorideSilver chlorideSilver chloride is a chemical compound with the chemical formula AgCl. This white crystalline solid is well known for its low solubility in water . Upon illumination or heating, silver chloride converts to silver , which is signalled by greyish or purplish coloration to some samples...
, formed by heating horn silver till it liquifies and then cooling. - King's yellow - formed by mixing orpiment with white arsenic.
- Lapis solaris (Bologna stoneBariteBaryte, or barite, is a mineral consisting of barium sulfate. The baryte group consists of baryte, celestine, anglesite and anhydrite. Baryte itself is generally white or colorless, and is the main source of barium...
) - barium sulfideBarium sulfideBarium sulfide is the inorganic compound with the formula BaS. BaS is an important precursor to other barium compounds including BaCO3 and the pigment lithopone, ZnS/BaSO4. Like other chalcogenides of the alkaline earth metals, BaS is a short wavelength emitters for electronic displays...
- 1603, Vincenzo Cascariolo - Lead fume - lead oxideLead oxideLead oxide may refer to:* Lead oxide, PbO, litharge, massicot* Lead oxide, Pb3O4, minium, red lead* Lead dioxide , PbO2Less common lead oxides are:* Lead oxide, Pb2O3, lead sesquioxide...
, found in flues at lead smelters. - LimeLime (mineral)Lime is a general term for calcium-containing inorganic materials, in which carbonates, oxides and hydroxides predominate. Strictly speaking, lime is calcium oxide or calcium hydroxide. It is also the name for a single mineral of the CaO composition, occurring very rarely...
/Quicklime (Burnt Lime)/Calx Viva/Unslaked Lime - calcium oxideCalcium oxideCalcium oxide , commonly known as quicklime or burnt lime, is a widely used chemical compound. It is a white, caustic, alkaline crystalline solid at room temperature....
, formed by calcining limestoneLimestoneLimestone is a sedimentary rock composed largely of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate . Many limestones are composed from skeletal fragments of marine organisms such as coral or foraminifera....
. - Slaked Lime - calcium hydroxideCalcium hydroxideCalcium hydroxide, traditionally called slaked lime, is an inorganic compound with the chemical formula Ca2. It is a colourless crystal or white powder and is obtained when calcium oxide is mixed, or "slaked" with water. It has many names including hydrated lime, builders lime, slack lime, cal, or...
. - Liver of sulfurLiver of sulfurSulfurated potash is a poorly defined mixture of potassium sulfide, potassium polysulfide, potassium thiosulfate, and probably potassium bisulfide...
- formed by fusing potash and sulfur. - Lunar caustic/lapis infernalis - silver nitrateSilver nitrateSilver nitrate is an inorganic compound with chemical formula . This compound is a versatile precursor to many other silver compounds, such as those used in photography. It is far less sensitive to light than the halides...
, formed by dissolving silverSilverSilver is a metallic chemical element with the chemical symbol Ag and atomic number 47. A soft, white, lustrous transition metal, it has the highest electrical conductivity of any element and the highest thermal conductivity of any metal...
in aqua fortis and evaporating. - LyeLyeLye is a corrosive alkaline substance, commonly sodium hydroxide or historically potassium hydroxide . Previously, lye was among the many different alkalis leached from hardwood ashes...
- potash in a water solution, formed by leaching wood ashes. - PotashPotashPotash is the common name for various mined and manufactured salts that contain potassium in water-soluble form. In some rare cases, potash can be formed with traces of organic materials such as plant remains, and this was the major historical source for it before the industrial era...
/Salt of tartar - potassium carbonatePotassium carbonatePotassium carbonate is a white salt, soluble in water , which forms a strongly alkaline solution. It can be made as the product of potassium hydroxide's absorbent reaction with carbon dioxide. It is deliquescent, often appearing a damp or wet solid...
, formed by evaporating lye. - Pearlash - formed by baking potash in a kiln.
- MassicotMassicotMassicot is one of the natural mineral forms of lead oxide, PbO. Massicot is the orthorhombic dimorph of the tetragonal form of lead oxide, litharge. It forms soft yellow to reddish-yellow, earthy, scaley masses which are very dense, with a specific gravity of 9.64.It was first described in 1841...
- lead monoxide. - LithargeLithargeLitharge is one of the natural mineral forms of lead oxide, PbO. Litharge is a secondary mineral which forms from the oxidation of galena ores. It forms as coatings and encrustations with internal tetragonal crystal structure. It is dimorphous with the orthorhombic form massicot...
- lead monoxide, formed by fusing and powdering massicot. - MiniumMiniumMinium is a genus of thalloid alga comprising approximately 1 species. The thalli take a crustose form....
/Red LeadRed leadLead tetroxide, also called minium, red lead or triplumbic tetroxide, is a bright red or orange crystalline or amorphous pigment. Chemically, red lead is lead tetroxide, Pb3O4, or 2PbO·PbO2....
- trilead tetroxide, formed by roasting litharge in air. - Naples yellowNaples YellowNaples yellow, also called antimony yellow, can range from a somewhat muted, or earthy, reddish yellow pigment to a bright light yellow, and is the chemical compound lead antimonate. Its chemical composition is Pb2/Pb32. It is also known as jaune d'antimoine. It is one of the oldest synthetic...
/Cassel yellow - oxychloride of lead, formed by heating litharge with sal ammoniac. - Mercurius praecipitatus - red mercuric oxide.
- Milk of Sulfur (lac sulphuris) - formed by adding an acid to thion hudor (lime sulfurLime sulfurIn horticulture, lime sulfur is a mixture of calcium polysulfides formed by reacting calcium hydroxide with sulfur, used in pest control. It can be prepared by boiling calcium hydroxide and sulfur together with a small amount of surfactant...
). - Mosaic GoldMosaic goldMosaic gold, or stannic sulfide, SnS2, is obtained as a yellow scaly crystalline powder, and used as a pigment in bronzing and gilding wood and metal work. It was called by the alchemists aurum musivum, or aurum mosaicum...
- stannic sulfide, formed by heating a mixture of tin filings, sulfur and sal-ammoniac. - NatronNatronNatron is a naturally occurring mixture of sodium carbonate decahydrate and about 17% sodium bicarbonate along with small quantities of household salt and sodium sulfate. Natron is white to colourless when pure, varying to gray or yellow with impurities...
- sodium carbonateSodium carbonateSodium carbonate , Na2CO3 is a sodium salt of carbonic acid. It most commonly occurs as a crystalline heptahydrate, which readily effloresces to form a white powder, the monohydrate. Sodium carbonate is domestically well-known for its everyday use as a water softener. It can be extracted from the...
. - Nitrum Flammans - ammonium nitrate.
- Oil of Vitriol/Spirit of Vitriol - sulfuric acidSulfuric acidSulfuric acid is a strong mineral acid with the molecular formula . Its historical name is oil of vitriol. Pure sulfuric acid is a highly corrosive, colorless, viscous liquid. The salts of sulfuric acid are called sulfates...
, a weak version can be formed by heating green vitriol and blue vitriol. - OrpimentOrpimentOrpiment, As2S3, is a common monoclinic arsenic sulfide mineral. It has a Mohs hardness of 1.5 to 2 and a specific gravity of 3.46. It melts at 300 °C to 325 °C...
- arsenic trisulfideArsenic trisulfideArsenic trisulfide is the inorganic compound with the formula As2S3. This bright yellow solid is a well known mineral orpiment , has been used as a pigment, and has played a role in the analysis of arsenic compounds. This chalcogenide material is a group V/VI, intrinsic p-type semiconductor and...
, an ore of arsenic. - Pearl whitePearl WhitePearl Fay White was an American film actress, the so-called "Stunt Queen" of silent films, most notably in The Perils of Pauline.-Early life:...
- bismuth nitrate. - Philosophers' Wool/nix alba (white snow)/Zinc White - zinc oxideZinc oxideZinc oxide is an inorganic compound with the formula ZnO. It is a white powder that is insoluble in water. The powder is widely used as an additive into numerous materials and products including plastics, ceramics, glass, cement, rubber , lubricants, paints, ointments, adhesives, sealants,...
, formed by burning zinc in air, used as a pigment. - PlumbagoPlumbago (disambiguation)-Genera:*Plumbago, the leadworts, a genus of flowering plants*Plumbago , a genus of skipper butterflies*"Plumbago drawing", graphite portraits of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries-Materials:...
- a mineral; graphiteGraphiteThe mineral graphite is one of the allotropes of carbon. It was named by Abraham Gottlob Werner in 1789 from the Ancient Greek γράφω , "to draw/write", for its use in pencils, where it is commonly called lead . Unlike diamond , graphite is an electrical conductor, a semimetal...
, not discovered in pure form until 1564. - Powder of Algaroth - antimonious oxychloride, formed by precipitation when a solution of butter of antimony and spirit of salt is poured into water.
- Purple of CassiusPurple of CassiusPurple of Cassius is a purple pigment formed by the reaction of gold salts with tin chloride. It has been used to impart glass with a red coloration , as well as to determine the presence of gold as a chemical test....
- formed by precipitating a mixture of gold, stannousTin(II) chlorideTin chloride is a white crystalline solid with the formula 2. It forms a stable dihydrate, but aqueous solutions tend to undergo hydrolysis, particularly if hot. SnCl2 is widely used as a reducing agent , and in electrolytic baths for tin-plating...
and stannic chloridesTin(IV) chlorideTin chloride, also known as tin tetrachloride or stannic chloride is a chemical compound with the formula SnCl4.At room temperature it is a colourless liquid, which fumes on contact with air, giving a stinging odor...
, with alkali. Used for glass coloring. - RealgarRealgarRealgar, α-As4S4, is an arsenic sulfide mineral, also known as "ruby sulphur" or "ruby of arsenic". It is a soft, sectile mineral occurring in monoclinic crystals, or in granular, compact, or powdery form, often in association with the related mineral, orpiment . It is orange-red in colour, melts...
- arsenic disulfide, an ore of arsenic. - Regulus of antimony
- Resin of copper - copper(I) chlorideCopper(I) chlorideCopper chloride, commonly called cuprous chloride, is the lower chloride of copper, with the formula CuCl. The substance is a white solid sparingly soluble in water, but very soluble in concentrated hydrochloric acid...
(cuprous chloride), formed by heating copper with corrosive sublimate. - Sal AmmoniacSal ammoniacSal ammoniac is a rare mineral composed of ammonium chloride, NH4Cl. It forms colorless to white to yellow-brown crystals in the isometric-hexoctahedral class. It has very poor cleavage and a brittle to conchoidal fracture. It is quite soft, with a Mohs hardness of 1.5 to 2, and has a low specific...
- ammonium chlorideAmmonium chlorideAmmonium chloride NH4Cl is an inorganic compound with the formula NH4Cl. It is a white crystalline salt that is highly soluble in water. Solutions of ammonium chloride are mildly acidic. Sal ammoniac is a name of natural, mineralogical form of ammonium chloride...
. - Sal Petrae (Med. Latin: "stone salt")/Salt of Petra/SaltpetrePotassium nitratePotassium nitrate is a chemical compound with the formula KNO3. It is an ionic salt of potassium ions K+ and nitrate ions NO3−.It occurs as a mineral niter and is a natural solid source of nitrogen. Its common names include saltpetre , from medieval Latin sal petræ: "stone salt" or possibly "Salt...
/Nitrate of potash - potassium nitratePotassium nitratePotassium nitrate is a chemical compound with the formula KNO3. It is an ionic salt of potassium ions K+ and nitrate ions NO3−.It occurs as a mineral niter and is a natural solid source of nitrogen. Its common names include saltpetre , from medieval Latin sal petræ: "stone salt" or possibly "Salt...
, typically mined from covered dungheaps. - SaltSaltIn chemistry, salts are ionic compounds that result from the neutralization reaction of an acid and a base. They are composed of cations and anions so that the product is electrically neutral...
/Common salt - A mineral; sodium chlorideSodium chlorideSodium chloride, also known as salt, common salt, table salt or halite, is an inorganic compound with the formula NaCl. Sodium chloride is the salt most responsible for the salinity of the ocean and of the extracellular fluid of many multicellular organisms...
, formed by evaporating seawater (impure form). - SodaSodium carbonateSodium carbonate , Na2CO3 is a sodium salt of carbonic acid. It most commonly occurs as a crystalline heptahydrate, which readily effloresces to form a white powder, the monohydrate. Sodium carbonate is domestically well-known for its everyday use as a water softener. It can be extracted from the...
/Soda Ash - sodium carbonateSodium carbonateSodium carbonate , Na2CO3 is a sodium salt of carbonic acid. It most commonly occurs as a crystalline heptahydrate, which readily effloresces to form a white powder, the monohydrate. Sodium carbonate is domestically well-known for its everyday use as a water softener. It can be extracted from the...
. - Spirit of box/Pyroxylic spirit - distillation of wood alcohol.
- Spirit of Hartshorn - ammoniaAmmoniaAmmonia is a compound of nitrogen and hydrogen with the formula . It is a colourless gas with a characteristic pungent odour. Ammonia contributes significantly to the nutritional needs of terrestrial organisms by serving as a precursor to food and fertilizers. Ammonia, either directly or...
, formed by the decomposition of sal-ammoniac by unslaked lime. - Salt of Hartshorn/Sal Volatile - ammonium carbonateAmmonium carbonateAmmonium carbonate is a commercial salt with the chemical formula 2CO3. It is used when crushed as a smelling salt. It can be crushed when needed in order to revive someone who has fainted...
formed by distilling bones and horns. - Spirit of Salt/Acidum Salis - the liquid form of hydrochloric acidHydrochloric acidHydrochloric acid is a solution of hydrogen chloride in water, that is a highly corrosive, strong mineral acid with many industrial uses. It is found naturally in gastric acid....
(also called muriatic acid), formed by mixing common saltSodium chlorideSodium chloride, also known as salt, common salt, table salt or halite, is an inorganic compound with the formula NaCl. Sodium chloride is the salt most responsible for the salinity of the ocean and of the extracellular fluid of many multicellular organisms...
with oil of vitriol. - Marine Acid Air - gaseous form of hydrochloric acidHydrochloric acidHydrochloric acid is a solution of hydrogen chloride in water, that is a highly corrosive, strong mineral acid with many industrial uses. It is found naturally in gastric acid....
. - Spiritus fumans - stannic chloride, formed by distilling tin with corrosive sublimate.
- Tin salt - hydrated stannous chlorideTin(II) chlorideTin chloride is a white crystalline solid with the formula 2. It forms a stable dihydrate, but aqueous solutions tend to undergo hydrolysis, particularly if hot. SnCl2 is widely used as a reducing agent , and in electrolytic baths for tin-plating...
. - Butter of tin - hydrated tin(IV) chlorideTin(IV) chlorideTin chloride, also known as tin tetrachloride or stannic chloride is a chemical compound with the formula SnCl4.At room temperature it is a colourless liquid, which fumes on contact with air, giving a stinging odor...
. - StibniteStibniteStibnite, sometimes called antimonite, is a sulfide mineral with the formula Sb2S3. This soft grey material crystallizes in an orthorhombic space group. It is the most important source for the metalloid antimony...
- antimonyAntimonyAntimony is a toxic chemical element with the symbol Sb and an atomic number of 51. A lustrous grey metalloid, it is found in nature mainly as the sulfide mineral stibnite...
or antimony trisulfide, ore of antimony. - Sugar of Lead - lead acetateLead acetateLead acetate can refer to:* Lead acetate , Pb4* Lead acetate , Pb2...
, formed by dissolving lead oxide in vinegar. - Sweet Vitriol - diethyl etherDiethyl etherDiethyl ether, also known as ethyl ether, simply ether, or ethoxyethane, is an organic compound in the ether class with the formula . It is a colorless, highly volatile flammable liquid with a characteristic odor...
. - Thion Hudor - lime sulfurLime sulfurIn horticulture, lime sulfur is a mixture of calcium polysulfides formed by reacting calcium hydroxide with sulfur, used in pest control. It can be prepared by boiling calcium hydroxide and sulfur together with a small amount of surfactant...
, formed by boiling flowers of sulfur with slaked lime. - Turpeth mineral - hydrolysed form of mercury(II) sulfateMercury(II) sulfateMercury sulfate, commonly called mercuric sulfate is the chemical compound Hg S O4. It is an odorless solid that forms white granules or crystalline powder...
. - VerdigrisVerdigrisVerdigris is the common name for a green pigment obtained through the application of acetic acid to copper plates or the natural patina formed when copper, brass or bronze is weathered and exposed to air or seawater over a period of time. It is usually a basic copper carbonate, but near the sea...
- Carbonate of CopperCopper(II) carbonateCopper carbonate is a blue-green compound forming part of the verdigris patina that is found on weathered brass, bronze, and copper. The colour can vary from bright blue to green, because there may be a mixture of both copper carbonate and basic copper carbonate in various stages of hydration...
or (more recently) copper(II) acetateCopper(II) acetateCopper acetate, also referred to as cupric acetate, is the chemical compound with the formula Cu2 where OAc- is acetate . The hydrated derivative, which contains one molecule of water for each Cu atom, is available commercially. Anhydrous Cu2 is a dark green crystalline solid, whereas Cu22 is...
. The carbonate is formed by weathering copper. The acetate is formed by vinegar acting on copper. One version was used as a green pigment. - White arsenic - arsenious oxide, formed by subliminating arsenical soot from the roasting ovens.
- White leadWhite leadWhite lead is the chemical compound 2·Pb2. It was formerly used as an ingredient for lead paint and a cosmetic called Venetian Ceruse, because its opaque quality made it a good pigment. However, it tended to cause lead poisoning, and its use has been banned in most countries.White lead has been...
- carbonate of leadLead carbonateLead carbonate is the chemical compound PbCO3. It is prepared industrially from lead acetate and carbon dioxide.It occurs naturally as the mineral cerussite.-Basic lead carbonates:...
, a toxic pigment, produced by corroding stacks of lead plates with dilute vinegar beneath a heap of moistened wood shavings. (replaced by blanc fixe & lithoponeLithoponeLithophone is a white pigment consisting of a mixture of barium sulfate and zinc sulfide. It is used in interior paints and in some enamels. It is widely used for white paint.-History:...
) - White vitriol - zinc sulfateZinc sulfateZinc sulfate is the inorganic compound with the formula ZnSO4 as well as any of three hydrates. It was historically known as "white vitriol". It is a colorless solid that is a common source of soluble zinc ions.-Production and reactivity:...
, formed by lixiviating roasted zinc blende. - Venetian White - formed from equal parts of white lead and barium sulfateBarium sulfateBarium sulfate is the inorganic compound with the chemical formula BaSO4. It is a white crystalline solid that is odorless and insoluble in water. It occurs as the mineral barite, which is the main commercial source of barium and materials prepared from it...
. - ZaffreZaffreZaffre, a pre-scientific substance , is a deep blue pigment obtained by roasting cobalt ore, and is made of either an impure form cobalt oxide or impure cobalt arseniate...
- impure cobalt arsenate, formed after roasting cobalt ore. - Zinc Blende - zinc sulfideZinc sulfideZinc sulfide is a inorganic compound with the formula ZnS. ZnS is the main form of zinc in nature, where it mainly occurs as the mineral sphalerite...
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