Zinc Hydroxide: Overview, Questions, Preparation

Q: Q: Name two minerals of which Zinc Hydroxide is made of

A: Two out of the three minerals are - Ashoverite and Sweetite. The third one being Wulfingnite.

This chapter has multiple topics listed below:

Acids, Bases and Salts Acid Strength Difference between Acid and Bas...Examples of Bases Zinc carbonate Zinc Nitrate Aluminium Phosphate Aspartic Acid Butyric Acid Tannic acid Uses of Folic Acid Uses of Acetic Acid Lactic Acid formula Uses of Citric Acid Magnesium Nitrate Barium Iodide Dilute Acids Magnesium Phosphate Uses of Hydrochloric Acid List of Strong Acids Butanoic Acid Sodium Chlorate Barium Carbonate Chloroacetic Acid Magnesium Bicarbonate Red Cabbage Indicator Sodium Hexametaphosphate Zinc Hydroxide Potassium Iodate Peroxydisulfuric Acid Ph of Acids and Bases Potassium Bromate Weak Acid Examples Weak Bases Magnesium Hydroxide Monosodium Glutamate Potassium Hydroxide Nitrous Acid Henderson Hasselbalch Equation Difference between Alkali and B...Properties of Bases Sodium Citrate Ammonium Phosphate Chemical Indicators Chromic Acid Perchloric Acid Uses of Sodium Hydroxide Zinc Acetate

Jasleen Taneja

Updated on Jun 4, 2024 17:07 IST

Zinc Hydroxide is an inorganic chemical compound (jelly-like), made up of three rare minerals i.e. Wulfingnite (orthorhombic), Ashoverite, and Sweetite (both tetragonal). These minerals occur naturally and are the natural polymorphs of Zinc Hydroxide [Zn (OH)2]. Zinc hydroxide reacts well with both acids and bases. It is an insoluble hydroxide that reacts with strong acid and gets broken down or dissolved.

Table of Contents

Chemical Properties of Zinc Hydroxide
Physical properties of Zinc Hydroxide
Preparation/Structure of Zinc Hydroxide:
Applications/Uses of Zinc Hydroxide:
FAQs on Zinc Hydroxide

Chemical Properties of Zinc Hydroxide

Chemical Formula	Zn (OH)2
Molar mass	99.424 g/mol
Density	3.053 g/cm³
Melting Point	125° C (257° F)

Physical properties of Zinc Hydroxide

Valency	2
Ph level	8.88
Solubility product	3.0 × 10^-17
Solubility in alcohol	Insoluble

Preparation/Structure of Zinc Hydroxide:

Zinc Hydroxide can be set up by adding sodium hydroxide mix, not in abundance. Then, a transparent white precipitate will form:

Zn2+ is a form of Hexa-aqua ions and tetra- aqua ions, the first one with the high-water level and the latter with a low level of water. It can be more appropriately written as follows:

Here, aq stands for Aqua.

Some of the other examples are as follows:

If sodium hydroxide is added in abundance, then the precipitate of the zinc hydroxide solution will dissolve and it will turn into a colourless solution. The illustrated formula is:

This can be sometimes used to find out the concentration for zinc ions in the formed solution but sometimes it can be switched with aluminum and lead as they both somewhat hold the same uses as well.

As can be seen from the above formulas that zinc hydroxide is soluble in water or it can dissolve in it because the ion itself is rounded against water particles. But when added sodium hydroxide in abundance the ions will diminish their complexity with a -2 charge and it makes it dissolvable/soluble. At the point when excess alkali is added, it sets up a balanced state which forms hydroxide ion and the reaction caused is the same as sodium hydroxide and it creates a +2 charge, thus making it soluble.

Applications/Uses of Zinc Hydroxide:

It is widely used in the preparation of medicines or surgical dressings as it functions as an absorbent. Bandages that are used after surgeries are coated with the zinc substance to absorb the blood from the wound.
Galvanization is the process in which steel and iron are coated with a layer of zinc and it is highly used in this process. Zinc prevents steel and iron from getting rusted.
It is also used for electrical rechargeable batteries.
It is regularly utilized as a medium for the business production of pesticides and their pigments.
Oddly it is also used as a compounding agent between different ingredients of rubber.
It also can be used as a mordant which means that it is used to set the dyes of fabrics or tissues.

As per the breakdown of marks for the ongoing year 2021, This chapter of Acids, bases & salts holds a weightage of 4 marks.

FAQs on Zinc Hydroxide

Q: What is the Ph level of the Zinc Hydroxide?

A: 8.88

Q: Name two minerals of which Zinc Hydroxide is made of

A: Two out of the three minerals are - Ashoverite and Sweetite. The third one being Wulfingnite.

Q: What is the chemical formula for Zinc Hydroxide?

A: Zn (OH)2

Q: At what temperature does Zinc Hydroxide start to melt?

A: 125°C or (257°F)

Q: Explain one major use of Zinc Hydroxide in the medical field.

A: It is widely used in the preparation of medicines or surgical dressings as it functions as an absorbent. Bandages that are used after surgeries are coated with the zinc substance to absorb the blood from the wound.