Many of us do not know chemistry perfectly, but in everyday life we somehow have to deal with products and materials obtained chemically. This article will focus on zinc nitrate, without which it is difficult to imagine the full-fledged existence of some sectors of the national economy. Zinc nitrate is a colorless crystal obtained by combining zinc hydroxide, oxide or carbonate with nitric acid. The obtained crystalline hydrates, in contrast to the starting materials, are readily soluble in alcohol and water. Due to these properties, the scope of zinc nitrate is diverse.
People use it not only in chemical laboratories, but also in everyday life, sometimes without even thinking about what they use. Zinc nitrate is part of many drugs that people use in gardening. In addition, this substance is part of the main components of many tools used in various operations. Zinc oxide is a powder of a transparent color, consisting of many small crystals. It should be borne in mind that the properties of zinc and zinc nitrate are significantly different, therefore this composition does not dissolve in water and acquires a yellow tint when it is heated.
Hydroxides are also poorly soluble in water, visually they resemble oxides - this is a colorless powder. However, the main advantage of hydroxide is that it is an amorphous substance, when combined with water, it exhibits a number of amphoteric properties. Zinc carbonate is completely insoluble in water and actively decomposes when heated. In the process of combining these substances with nitric acid , crystalline hydrates are obtained. The scope of zinc nitrate is diverse. In addition to microchemistry, these substances can be found in everyday life. Zinc nitrate is used for the protective treatment of iron and steel, since the density of zinc and the density of steel is different. And after heat treatment of the steel surface, it becomes much stronger and less susceptible to negative environmental influences.
Zinc occupies a special place in the field of aircraft manufacturing. Thanks to this treatment, metal corrosion is reduced and its durability is increased. In addition, gardening enthusiasts use the unique properties of zinc nitrate. In this case, the substance is part of a variety of fertilizers for the soil. Moreover, they are used almost all over the world, as they have proven themselves well, and their cost is significantly lower than their counterparts from other materials. At the same time, zinc nitrate has absolutely no effect on a person, in this case it is harmless. Plants remove only nitrogen from fertilizers, which is necessary for their growth. However, when using substances containing zinc nitrate, proportions should be carefully considered. Damage to the plant can be caused both by reducing the dose of zinc, and by increasing it.
In the first case, the bait will be useless, which means that the expected result will not be achieved and the gardener or farmer will suffer certain losses. In the second case, when there will be too much zinc nitrate, an undesirable effect will occur, which will also negatively affect the growth of the plant and yield. Another area of application of zinc nitrate is explosives, which have not very large destructive factors. Such compounds are very often used for, for example, construction work, when it is necessary to quickly and relatively cheaply dismantle an object. Zinc nitrate, in reaction with other substances, can explode both by ignition and by laser. Very often it is used for chemical experiments.