IndianJadiBooti Neela Thotha - Copper Sulphate - Blue Thothia - Tutia

What is Copper Sulphate (Blue Thothia):

Blue Thothia known as Neela Thotha in hindi, is a chemical compound that is used as a food preservative, metal polish, and in the manufacture of pigments. It can be prepared by treating metallic copper with heated and concentrated sulphuric acid, or by treating the oxides of copper with dilute sulphuric acid.

Blue Thothia OR Copper sulfate can be prepared by treating metallic copper with heated and concentrated sulphuric acid, or by treating the oxides of copper with dilute sulphuric acid. It can be noted that the oxidation state exhibited by the copper atom in a CuSO4 molecule is +2.

The most common form of copper sulfate is its pentahydrate, given by the chemical formula CuSO4.5H2O. This form is characterized by its bright blue colour. However, it can be noted that the anhydrous form of this salt is a powder that is white.

USES:

Copper sulfate, also called blue vitriol, is a common chemical compound used as a fungicide. This chemical compound has multiple uses in industry and research.
The pentahydrate of this compound, CuSO4.5H2O is used as a fungicide due to its ability to kill several fungi. Copper sulfate is also used in Benedict’s solution and in Fehling’s solution, which is used in testing for reducing sugars.

Copper sulfate is used to test blood samples for diseases like anaemia and can be added to KMnO4 (potassium permanganate) solutions to make an oxidant that can be used in the conversion of iron from its ferrous state into its ferric state by adding hydrogen peroxide or sodium hydroxide solution into the mixture.

Solutions of copper sulfate in water can be used as a resistive element liquid resistors due to its high electrical resistance value of about 4000000 ohms per centimeter cubed at 20oCelsius temperature. It can also be used as a decorative since it can add colour to cement, ceramics, and other metals as well.

BENEFITS:
Neela Thotha is a naturally occurring substance found in the earth’s crust, which can be mined and refined into a powdery form. This product has been registered for use as a pesticide since 1956, and has been used to control bacteria and fungus growth on fruits, vegetables, and other crops. Copper sulfate binds with the proteins in fungi, damaging their cells and causing them to die.

This process also happens when Blue Thothia is combined with lime and water (called a Bordeaux mixture) to form a protective fungicide. Copper sulfate is also used in order to help with public health and safety by destroying algae and bacteria caused by growing algae in swimming pools in addition to preventing athlete’s foot (a fungal infection that grows in between the toes in warm climates). This is done by mixing it into the flooring mixtures of showers, locker rooms, and swimming pools in order to prevent the bacteria from being able to live on the flooring indefinitely.