Yancy B.

De La Cruz March 14,2023

Gr.12 Polaris
General Chemistry 2

ALUM CRYSTAL

How the crystal is formed?

Alum crystals can easily be produced by precipitation from an aqueous solution. In producing
potassium alum, for example, aluminum sulfate and potassium sulfate are dissolved in water, and
then upon evaporation the alum crystallizes out of the solution. A more common production
method is to treat bauxite ore with sulfuric acid and then with potassium sulfate. Ammonium
alum is produced by the evaporation of a water solution containing ammonium sulfate and
aluminum sulfate. It can also be obtained by treating a mixture of aluminum sulfate and sulfuric
acid with ammonia.

Is it beneficial or harmful to man or both?

Alum Crystals can be beneficial and harmful to humans, alum crystal naturally occurring
ingredient is considered to be good for tightening the skin. It has an astringent property that
causes the cells to shrink and removes excess oil from the skin. Thus, Alum is used in the form
of gels or creams for skin care, and alum crystal can also cause irritation, burns, and respiratory
issues. If inhaled, it may cause headaches, nausea, and respiratory irritations.

If it is something harmful, what can be done to avoid its formation? If it is

something beneficial, how can its formation be promoted?
If alum is a harmful crystal, to avoid it’s formation, we should make a experimentation first to
analyze the formation of elements does make alum harmful, and to know how to avoid its bad
effects to humans.