Magnesium sulfate

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Magnesium sulfate or magnesium sulphate is a chemical compound, a salt with the formula MgSO4, consisting of magnesium cations Mg2+ (20.19% by mass) and sulfate anions SO42−. It is a white crystalline solid, soluble in water. Magnesium sulfate is usually encountered in the form of a hydrate MgSO4·nH2O, for various values of n between 1 and 11. The most common is the heptahydrate MgSO4·7H2O, known as Epsom salt, which is a household chemical with many common uses, including bath salts. Magnesium sulfate has diverse clinical uses, several of which have national regulatory approval. The main use of magnesium sulfate is in agriculture to correct soils deficient in magnesium (an essential plant nutrient because of the role of magnesium in chlorophyll and photosynthesis). The monohydrate is favored for this use; by the mid 1970s, its production was 2.3 million tons per year with production increasing to approximately 2.6 million tons in 2024. The anhydrous form and several hydrates occur in nature...

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