Types of Inorganic Salts

Salts can be composed of both the organic and inorganic products and the physical properties like color, taste and appearance depend on these core compounds.

Acetate:  Acetate is the anion part of a salt and belongs to the carboxylate family. Actually it is the conjugate base art of the acetic acid which is coming out from the acetic acid in the level of pH above 5.5. salts made up with acetate compound are dissolves quickly in water. Commercially used for dying. 

Carbonate: Carbonic acid gives the salt, carbonate. It is a very important part of the chemistry which has the simplest structural configuration of oxocarbon anion. The configuration says, one carbon is surrounded and bonded with three oxygen atoms. This salt is working as a buffer in blood which maintain the optimum pH level in the blood.

Chloride: One of the most important anion on earth. When a chlorine takes up an electron, become a chloride. Salts derived from the reaction of Hydrochloric acid also contains Chloride Ion and are highly soluble in water. It is stated as very important one, because all body fluid contains chloride and responsible for the maintenance of acid-base balance of the body.

Fluoride:  Another reduced halide is fluoride when it receives electron and transformed into ionized form. It is a monovalent one and nearly resembles to Hydroxide in its activity.  It is also used in human body benefit like, used in toothpastes, helps in building strong teeth and some medicines are made up with a fluoride compound. It has also toxicity.

Hypochlorite: Hypochlorus acid can give rise to Hypochlorate where chlorine is in the stage of oxidation. It is very much unstable one and we find in bleaching powder.  Also produced in our body during the mechanism of killing pathogens, like bacteria or viruses. Hypochlorite is very rare to find independently, usually remain in combination with other solutions.

Nitrate: A conjugate base of the Nitric acid where, one nitrogen is surrounded and bonded with three oxygen atoms. It is a trigonal planner shaped and carries a -1 charge. This compound is highly soluble, so mainly used as fertilizer in agricultural field. Also used as an oxydizing agent and the toxicity in infant cause methemoglobinemia.

Phosphate: Another inorganic salt of phosphoric acid. It is also the conjugate base of this acid where one phosphorus is bound with four oxygen and in the tetrahedral pattern. Not all phosphates are easily soluble in water but the sodium, potassium and ammonium salts of this are soluble. Formation of a compound is taking place with phosphate when an ion is attached with oxygen part of phosphate. 

Silicate: Silicon anion composing the compound is known as silicate. Other than oxides in the silicate, there are also other anions present in it. Mainly all earthly things, like rocks, crusts, cements, minerals and asteroids are composed of Silicate. Mainly the charge of these silicates is neutralized while bonding with other cations and become very heavy weight materials.

Sulfate: Salt of salfuric acid which is an anion of 5 atoms and a heavy weight compound. Nearly resembles with the arrangement of methen, the sulfate is formed by sulfur, surrounded  by four oxygens and thus it is in combining carries a -2 charge with it. It is used in both chemical and biological world where the main use is in the production of lead batteries!

Sulfide: Also sulfide carries a -2 charge in an  oxidation stage which is very much well known because of the bad smell able to wash you out from the room. Very much strong and aggressive in a dissolved condition which has the capability to erode the steels, other metals, stainless steels etc. Hydrogen sulfide made from this is very corrosive and has a smell of rotten egg.

All these salts and their ions with the compound made from them are discussed in short here. These are very important in our life and are the main products in the particular industrial area. Some of them are also necessary and present in our body for maintenance the normal body system, whereas others are very much dangerous for us. Knowledge about them are important to avoid unnecessary hazards.