Magnesium chromate

Magnesium chromate is a chemical compound, with the formula MgCrO₄. It is a yellow, odorless, water-soluble salt with several important industrial uses. This chromate can be manufactured as a powder.

Magnesium chromate

Names
Other names Magnesium chromate(VI) Magnesium monochromate Magnesium monochromate(VI)
Identifiers
CAS Number	13423-61-5
3D model (JSmol)	Interactive image
ChemSpider	55507
ECHA InfoCard	100.033.204
PubChem CID	61599
CompTox Dashboard (EPA)	DTXSID50893929
InChI InChI=1S/Cr.Mg.4O/q;+2;;;2*-1 Key: CRGGPIWCSGOBDN-UHFFFAOYSA-N InChI=1/Cr.Mg.4O/q;+2;;;2*-1/rCrO4.Mg/c2-1(3,4)5;/q-2;+2 Key: CRGGPIWCSGOBDN-OVNOGNLDAB
SMILES [O-][Cr](=O)(=O)[O-].[Mg+2]
Properties
Chemical formula	MgCrO4
Molar mass	140.297 g·mol−1
Appearance	Yellow solid
Solubility in water	soluble
Except where otherwise noted, data are given for materials in their standard state (at 25 °C [77 °F], 100 kPa). Infobox references

History

Before 1940, the literature about magnesium chromate and its hydrates was sparse, but studies starting in that year looked at its properties and solubility.^[1]

Uses

It is available commercially in a variety of powders, from nanoscale to micron-sized, either as an anhydrous or hydrated form.^[2][3]

As a hydrate, it is useful as a corrosion inhibitor and pigment,^[4] or as an ingredient in cosmetics.^[5] In 2011, an undecahydrate (containing 11 molecules of water) of this compound was discovered by scientists at the University College London.^[6]

Hazards

Magnesium chromate hydrate should be stored at room temperature, and there is no current therapeutic use.^[7] It is a confirmed carcinogen, and can cause acute dermatitis, and possibly kidney and liver damage if inhaled, so it should be treated as a hazardous waste.^[8]