Question
Posted on: March 6 2013A problem with following sulfur suspension precipitated sulfur 8g Salicylic acid 3g tween 2dr aerosil 2g lime Water disinfectant alcohol aa ad 100g
Sulfur I have suspended and the salicylic acid dissolved in the alcohol. The suspension is beautiful and homogeneous, but smells like H2S. When the salicylic acid was suspended, this odor was not immediately perceptible. How is this? Are salicylic acid and sulfur incompatible?
Answer
Salicylic acid and sulfur are not incompatible, but they are salicylic acid and lime water. The latter gives OH-ions freely and this Alcalisch center possibly gives rise to formation of HS-. Salicylic acid is not insoluble in water and certainly not in alcalically reacting water and I suspect that the pH will become more acidic now. So it is probably best to rub the salicylic acid with the sulfur and the Aerosil.