Editing Vitriol (section)

{{For|oil of vitriol|Sulfuric acid}}

'''Vitriol''' is the general [[chemistry|chemical]] name encompassing a class of [[chemical compound]]s comprising [[sulfate]]s of certain metals{{snd}}originally, [[iron]] or [[copper]].  Those mineral substances were distinguished by their color, such as green vitriol for hydrated [[iron(II) sulfate]] and blue vitriol for hydrated [[copper(II) sulfate]].<ref name=ebrit.vitriol>"[https://www.britannica.com/science/vitriol Vitriol]" entry in the online Encyclopaedia Britannica. Accessed on 2020-08-28.</ref>

These materials were found originally as crystals formed by evaporation of groundwater that percolated through [[sulfide]] minerals and collected in pools on the floors of old [[Mining|mine]]s. The word ''vitriol'' comes from the Latin word ''vitriolus'', meaning "small glass", as those crystals resembled small pieces of colored glass.

Oil of vitriol was an old name for concentrated [[sulfuric acid]], which was historically obtained through the dry distillation ([[pyrolysis]]) of vitriols.  The name, abbreviated to vitriol, continued to be used for this viscous liquid long after the minerals came to be termed "sulfates".  The figurative term ''vitriolic'' in the sense of "harshly condemnatory" is derived from the corrosive nature of this substance.

{|class="wikitable sortable"
!data-sort-type="text"|Vitriol!!data-sort-type="text"|Chemical!! scope="col" class="unsortable" data-sort-type="text"|Comment!!data-sort-type="text"|Formula
!Image
|-
| Black vitriol ||  &nbsp;  ||  Sulfate • Heptahydrate ( Hydrated Sulfate){{ref label|Comment|A|A}} ||[Cu,Mg,Fe,Mn,Co,Ni]SO<sub>4</sub>·7H<sub>2</sub>O{{ref label|Bloxam|B|B}}
|
|-
| Blue vitriol/Vitriol of Cyprus/Roman vitriol<ref>[https://www.chembk.com/en/chem/roman%20vitriol Roman vitriol on Chembk CAS Database]</ref> ||[[copper(II) sulfate]] ||  pentahydrate  || CuSO<sub>4</sub>·5H<sub>2</sub>O
|	[[File:Blue vitriol monocrystal.jpg|frameless]]
|-
| Green vitriol/Copperas ||[[iron(II) sulfate]] ||  heptahydrate ||  FeSO<sub>4</sub>·7H<sub>2</sub>O
|[[File:Iron(II)-sulfate-heptahydrate-sample.jpg|frameless]]
|-
| Oil of vitriol/Spirit of vitriol ||  [[sulfuric acid]] || [[acid]] || H<sub>2</sub>SO<sub>4</sub>
|[[File:Sulphuric acid 96 percent extra pure.jpg|frameless|center|upright]]
|-
| Red vitriol ||  [[cobalt(II) sulfate]] ||  heptahydrate  || CoSO<sub>4</sub>·7H<sub>2</sub>O
|[[File:Cobaltsulfat.JPG|frameless|center|upright=0.8]]
|-
| Sweet oil of vitriol ||  [[diethyl ether]] || Not a sulfate, but can be synthesized from sulfuric acid and ethanol<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.cliffsnotes.com/study-guides/chemistry/organic-chemistry-ii/alcohols-and-ethers/synthesis-of-ethers|title=Synthesis of Ethers}}</ref>|| CH<sub>3</sub>-CH<sub>2</sub>-O-CH<sub>2</sub>-CH<sub>3</sub>
|[[File:Diethyl ether by Danny S. - 001.JPG|alt=Diethyl ether liquid in a brown-tinted glass bottle|frameless]]
|-
| Vitriol of argile/Vitriol of clay ||[[aluminium sulfate]] ||  alum|| Al<sub>2</sub>(SO<sub>4</sub>)<sub>3</sub>
|[[File: Aluminium sulfate.jpg|frameless]]
|-
| Vitriol of Mars ||  [[iron(III) sulfate]] || [[Ferric sulfate]] || Fe<sub>2</sub>(SO<sub>4</sub>)<sub>3</sub> 
|[[File: Síran železitý.JPG|frameless]]
|-
| White vitriol ||  [[zinc sulfate]] ||  heptahydrate|| ZnSO<sub>4</sub>·7H<sub>2</sub>O
|[[File:Zinc_Sulfate.jpg|frameless]]
|}
{|
|-
|{{note label|Comment|A|A}} Many sources state that black vitriol "is a mixture of iron sulfate and iron sulfite", but none give a reference of any sort. The book, ''Chemistry, Inorganic & Organic, with Experiments'', by Bloxam<ref name="bloxam"/> is a published, reliable reference for the composition of ''black vitriol'', and it states on page 513, "The formula of black vitriol may be written [CuMgFeMnCoNi]SO<sub>4</sub>·7H<sub>2</sub>O, the six isomorphous metals being interchangeable without altering the general character of the salt."
|-
|{{note label|Bloxam|B|B}} "Any combination of these elements may be found in black vitriol."<ref name="bloxam">{{cite book|last1=Bloxam|first1=Charles Loudon|last2=Bloxam|first2=Arthur G.|last3=Lewis|first3=S. Judd|title=Chemistry, Inorganic & Organic, with Experiments|url=https://archive.org/details/cu31924002966764|date=1913|publisher=P. Blakiston's Son & Co|location=Philadelphia|page=[https://archive.org/details/cu31924002966764/page/n528 513]|edition=Tenth|language=English|chapter=Copper, Cu = 63.57|quote=The formula of black vitriol may be written [CuMgFeMnCoNi]SO<sub>4</sub>·7H<sub>2</sub>O, the six isomorphous metals being interchangeable without altering the general character of the salt.}}</ref>
|} <!-- ''vitriol of lead'', [[Lead(II) sulfate|plumbous (lead(II)) sulfate.]]-->