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Commentator

Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: Edmonton Alberta Canada
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copper sulphate vs cupric sulphate

07/02/2009 1:01 PM

Hello gang, its me again with another question posed by my tariff. The technical book written by bureaucrats. They have given me different tariff numbers for "Cupric sulphate" and "Other copper sulphates". Wikipedia doesn't help me see what (if any)difference there is. I thought copper and cupric were pretty much interchangable. So I turn once again to the experts.

What is the difference between copper sulphate and cupric sulphate.

If there is a difference. It is being imported for use in treating dairy cattle's hooves (At the bovine spa?) by farmers so if there are simple questions I could pose to the importer to determine which chemical I have please help me out. I doubt that I can contact the exporter as he is in the USA which is rapidly shutting down for the big weekend celibration. Happy 4th to the Yanks, have one on me please.

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#1

Re: copper sulphate vs cupric sulphate

07/02/2009 1:21 PM

I think they are the same. This may help.

Columbia Encyclopedia: cupric sulfate

Home > Library > Miscellaneous > Columbia Encyclopedia cupric sulfate (kū'prĭk sŭl'fāt, kyū'–) or copper (II) sulfate, chemical compound, CuSO4, taking the form of white rhombohedral crystals or amorphous powder. It decomposes at 650°C to cupric oxide (CuO). It is fairly soluble in water and when dissolved forms the pentahydrate, CuSO4·5H2O, the form that is most familiar. The pentahydrate can be collected as blue triclinic crystals; it is also known as blue vitriol. It loses part of its water of crystallization when heated to 110°C and fully dehydrates at 150°C. Cupric sulfate is used in copperplating, in dyeing (as a mordant), in wet-cell batteries, in pigments, and in insecticides, fungicides, and algicides. It is insoluble in alkali solutions, a property used in the preparation of Bordeaux mixture; lime (calcium hydroxide) is added to moist cupric sulfate, forming a basic cupric sulfate precipitate (a mixture of cupric sulfate and cupric hydroxide). The anhydrous sulfate is used to detect the presence of water in certain organic liquids; it turns into the blue pentahydrate, e.g., when added to alcohol that contains water. Cupric sulfate is prepared by the action of warm dilute sulfuric acid (oil of vitriol) on copper metal or cupric oxide; it is also a byproduct of copper sulfide ore refining. It occurs naturally in the minerals chalcanthite (the pentahydrate), hydrocyanite (the anhydrous sulfate), and brochantite (a basic sulfate, CuSO4·3Cu(OH)2).

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#2

Re: copper sulphate vs cupric sulphate

07/03/2009 12:00 AM

Read the label. Copper(I) Sulphate will be Cu2SO4 and may have water of hydration expressed as a .(x)H2O at the end. Copper (II) Sulphate will be CuSO4, and usually is also hydrated, unless specifically stated as anhydrous. NOTE: attainment of any grade above a "D" in any science or math class at any level of education is an automatic disqualification to be a bureaucrat. Passing any English Composition class is also, or even registering for a course in Technical Report Writing.

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Commentator

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#5
In reply to #2

Re: copper sulphate vs cupric sulphate

07/03/2009 10:09 AM

Ok thats good but.....

Is the chemical formula for cupric sulphate different from copper sulphate?

Neither the invoice or the tariff refer to copper I or copper II, they say copper sulphate or cupric sulphate.

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#3

Re: copper sulphate vs cupric sulphate

07/03/2009 1:19 AM

Call it whichever is cheaper to import and let the bureaucrats figure it out if they can.

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Commentator

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#6
In reply to #3

Re: copper sulphate vs cupric sulphate

07/03/2009 10:14 AM

I won't go into detail about all the fines and penalties for getting it wrong.

You sound like the typical importer.....

Broker "Sir you are importing screws from Taiwan, I need to know what they are made of?

Importer "Which material is the cheapest?"

Which usually results in a $300.00 fine for misdeclaraction, and a 20% value penalty. Suddenly $5.00 worth of screws cost the clients over $300.00 and he is calling his lawyer to sue me!

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#7
In reply to #6

Re: copper sulphate vs cupric sulphate

07/03/2009 11:14 AM

nope, I'm just a cheap bastard that has a very low opinion of government flunkies' ability to find their arse with either hand and a roadmap and GPS. Generally what they don't know won't kill you.

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#4

Re: copper sulphate vs cupric sulphate

07/03/2009 3:13 AM

Copper forms Cu+ salts and Cu++ salts. Their composition is different.

Also, the salts attract different levels of water-of-hydration. Without looking at a chemical textbook, CuSO4.7H2O springs to mind as one of them.

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#8

Re: copper sulphate vs cupric sulphate

07/03/2009 11:52 PM

Try looking in the Chemical Engineers Handbook or the Handbook of Chemistry

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#9

Re: copper sulphate vs cupric sulphate

07/05/2009 10:43 PM

They are different as has been explained (relating to one or two valence) chemicals.

When you do the "import" numbers though, remember that many of the different forms will have different proportions of "water" present, so anhydrous (white) copper sulfate has more "potency" as cow footwash that copper sulfate (Bluestone) with 5 x H2O per molecule.

I know this compounds your calculations, since your duty will probably be charged based on weight of material transferred, rather than the true "active ingredient" being soluable copper.

On a lighter note, the same challenge faces every international traveller when trying to calculate their "duty free" alcohol amounts, does beer at 5% count the same at Vodka at 50%?

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