Walking through the timeline of chemistry, aluminum chloride hexahydrate didn’t appear by accident. Early chemists, digging into alum, stumbled on new ways to split compounds and reclaim metals bound up in minerals. During industrial revolutions, demand for materials able to coax reactions further led researchers down the path of aluminum chemistry. Aluminum chloride’s watery sibling, the hexahydrate, gained traction in labs once hydrometallurgy took off and scientists explored water-soluble aluminum compounds. By the early 1900s, commercial processes targeting aluminum’s interaction with hydrochloric acid, moisture, and chlorine began producing compounds essential for textile, paper, and later, pharmaceutical applications. Lab benches filling with crystalline hydrates tell a story of both industrial ambition and the sheer persistence of people looking at white powders and seeing tomorrow’s infrastructure, medicine, and clean water.
Aluminum chloride hexahydrate shows up most often as colorless or slightly yellowish crystals, easily mistaken for many salts until a chemist picks up the bottle and spots the label. Compared to the anhydrous version—a hungry, fuming solid—this hexahydrate is less reactive and much easier to handle. It dissolves in water without drama, lending itself to a broader array of industrial, cosmetic, and medical purposes. It’s hard not to appreciate how it bridges the gap between harsh industrial chemistry and formulas gentle enough for over-the-counter antiperspirants. Whether sold in bulk for water treatment or packaged in small amounts for lab research, aluminum chloride hexahydrate forms the backbone of many modern conveniences.
On the bench, its crystals pick up and cling to moisture from the air, showing just how hydrated it really is—this trait matters for storage and weighing. Its melting point sits around 100 degrees Celsius, and it loses water stepwise when heated. Mixed in water, it splits into aluminum and chloride ions, making solutions that run acidic. A solution just a few minutes old begins to hydrolyze, creating complex ions and sometimes aluminum hydroxide—a reality that keeps chemists on their toes if precision matters. The hexahydrate feels less intimidating than pure, anhydrous aluminum chloride, but ignoring safety and reactivity means running the risk of skin burns, eye irritation, or unwanted chemical surprises.
Quality control teams focus on water content, purity, and the absence of metal contaminants. Specs for analytical grade material usually demand at least 99% purity and a clear crystalline appearance, while lower grades may carry more by-products. The label isn’t just legal compliance—the lot numbers and purity details track the compound back through the production pipeline. Moisture indicators and standardized test reports back up purity claims, and regulatory details satisfy both REACH and OSHA guidelines in most developed countries. This transparency helps users—whether in industry or academia—prevent mistakes that could creep in with lesser quality reagents.
Most manufacturers begin by dissolving aluminum metal, bauxite residue, or aluminum hydroxide in hydrochloric acid. The reaction hisses and bubbles, yielding a solution that, when cooled, deposits nearly clear hexahydrate crystals. Oversight in crystallization—temperature, acid strength, and seed control—defines product uniformity. Companies centralizing waste treatment often recycle aluminum byproducts, offering a greener angle on production. Decades ago, more caustic and wasteful processes ruled, but stronger environmental standards nudged the industry toward less polluting, more energy-efficient steps. In the lab, a student can walk through a simplified process to grow small batches for demonstration, linking basic chemistry to large-scale industrial output.
Aluminum chloride hexahydrate can swap out water for other molecules, forming complexes that push beyond basic chloride chemistry. In solution, it reacts briskly with bases, sometimes precipitating aluminum hydroxide—a useful step for making water-insoluble materials or correcting pH in industrial liquors. It can serve as a starting point for synthesizing alum, other aluminum salts, or even acting as a mild catalyst in organic chemistry experiments. Attempts to reduce it, drive off water, or combine it with sulfates and phosphates all point to the role it plays as a modular reagent. Chemical engineers working on water treatment or pigment production constantly look to tweak these reaction routes, hoping for fewer by-products or more cost-effective yields.
Trade catalogs and chemical supply houses often list it as “Aluminum chloride hexahydrate,” “Aluminium trichloride, hexahydrate,” or simply “AlCl3·6H2O.” Some manufacturers favor shorter codes or proprietary lines if the product heads for cosmetics, water purification, or pharmaceutical use. Careful consumers cross-check CAS numbers (7784-13-6) and product descriptions, especially when regulatory requirements or application-specific claims ride on the details. Recognizing these synonyms keeps confusion low and safety high in labs, factories, and distribution hubs.
Not enough can be said about safety when dealing with aluminum chloride hexahydrate. The compound, though less aggressive than its anhydrous cousin, still demands gloves, goggles, and good ventilation. Inhalation, skin, or eye contact can lead to irritation or worse, especially if someone skips proper procedure. Standard operating protocols require tight container seals, dry storage, and regular equipment checks to stop accidental exposure. Spills must get immediate attention—no waiting around—as water from the air quickly alters the local environment. Regulatory bodies in the U.S., Europe, and Asia push clear hazard labeling and demand periodic safety training for anyone who works with the salt regularly. This vigilant mindset helps protect both people and process.
Water treatment plants lean on this salt to clarify drinking water, catch and bind contaminants, and balance pH in effluent streams. Antiperspirant manufacturers depend on it, trusting its gentle ability to block sweat gland ducts temporarily without provoking skin irritation in most users. In pharmaceuticals, formulations using aluminum chloride hexahydrate treat hyperhidrosis and sometimes appear in topical antiseptics. Textile plants have called on it for dye fixation, and paper mills rely on it as a sizing agent. Researchers often reach for it as a reagent for synthesizing more complex aluminum compounds or as a means to introduce aluminum into biological systems for toxicity studies. In factories and small-scale shops, its role sometimes stretches into etching, pigment formation, or making specialty catalyst blends for demand-driven chemical processes.
Research teams push the boundaries by probing new applications and studying modifications that could trim waste or improve efficiency. Multinational chemical companies fund studies on hybrid materials blending aluminum chloride hexahydrate with polymers, aiming for next-gen coatings or biomedical implants. Environmental research investigates its role in removing tough pollutants, such as microplastics or heavy metals, from water bodies. Academic labs run experiments on safer, more renewable methods to produce and recycle the compound, minimizing energy demands and chemical leftovers. Material scientists test how changing the water content tweaks crystal structure or reactivity, hoping to unlock new uses in areas that once leaned on more harmful or expensive alternatives.
Public health research keeps a close eye on the potential risks tied to aluminum salts, particularly when it comes to cosmetic or medical exposure. Animal studies raised questions about neurological and reproductive toxicity at high doses, while epidemiological surveys look for links between long-term use in personal care products and chronic health issues. Regulatory bodies, consulting cumulative research, established strict limits for allowed concentrations in foods, drugs, and cosmetics. Ongoing trials collect data on bioaccumulation, environmental runoff, and safe thresholds for occupational exposure. These findings inform both safety protocols and product formulation, shaping the guidelines manufacturers and consumers must respect.
Environmental and regulatory pressures drive industry to rethink both how this compound gets made and where it finds use. Green chemistry initiatives push for less energy-intensive synthesis, more recycling of waste, and safer decomposition paths. Emerging tech companies explore incorporating novel aluminum salts—spinoffs from the classic hexahydrate—into battery technologies, catalysts for cleaner fuels, and advanced water purification membranes. Regulatory shifts around health, waste, and environmental safety may close some application avenues but open new ones for medical or sustainable manufacturing. As consumer expectations about ingredient transparency rise, companies focus on traceability, low-toxicity, and eco-friendly production. Research keeps expanding, looking not just for incremental improvement, but for game-changing discoveries that could reshape medicine, clean energy, and safer everyday products—all of which depend, somewhere down the line, on the simple yet versatile aluminum chloride hexahydrate.
Aluminum chloride hexahydrate shows up in places most people wouldn’t expect. I first learned about it when a friend, always struggling with sweaty hands, pulled out a prescription antiperspirant. Turns out, that chalky roll-on drew its power from this very compound. In specialty antiperspirants, especially those prescription-strength types, this chemical closes off sweat ducts for people dealing with excessive sweating, or hyperhidrosis. Anyone with a job interview or stage appearance coming up can probably see the appeal.
Many dermatology clinics rely on it, especially in treatments for night sweats and palmoplantar hyperhidrosis. Dermatologists like it because it’s not just a band-aid—it gets right to the source, targeting overactive sweat glands directly. Some offices offer in-clinic applications for people who have tried everything else with no luck. That’s real health care making a difference for daily life.
Labs keep jars of aluminum chloride hexahydrate handy for all sorts of experiments and research. Chemists value its ability to speed up chemical reactions, especially those that form carbon bonds in organic compounds. It paves the way in lab processes where time, accuracy, and consistency really matter. In industrial production, this chemical pops up in the manufacture of dyes, preservatives, and synthetic rubber, playing a supporting part in items we use every day.
Municipal water treatment plants use it to pull out unwanted particles and impurities from water supplies. As a coagulant, it clumps together suspended bits—dirt, bacteria, whatever else shouldn’t be in your drinking glass—so filters can capture and remove them more effectively. That means cleaner water flowing through pipes into kitchens all over town.
Even something this useful has some caveats. Long-term skin exposure can irritate or even burn sensitive skin. People dealing with skin sensitivity or kidney disorders can’t always use these products safely. If an accidental spill happens in a lab or factory, workers could end up with breathing trouble or sore eyes—safety gear is non-negotiable here. I’ve seen colleagues only half-prepared for chemical handling, and the results aren’t pretty.
Medical and industrial groups benefit from setting clearer safety guidelines. Public health groups should help people understand product labels and clear up misunderstandings. For safer handling, engineers often design better containment and ventilation, cutting down on exposure and waste. I have seen how simple reminders—wash hands, wear gloves, keep containers sealed—can keep teams safe.
Aluminum chloride hexahydrate stands out in the way it touches both personal health and industrial progress. It helps people feel more confident, brings cleaner water to homes, and keeps scientific innovation running smoothly. Most people may never recognize the name on a bottle, but its benefits reach much further than the label.
Aluminum chloride hexahydrate turns up in water treatment, deodorants, and some chemistry labs. It pulls moisture from the air and dissolves quite easily in water. I have seen students new to lab work treat it like table salt, but that’s far from a wise approach. The white, crystalline chunks look harmless, almost like sugar, but handling reveals a different story.
A lot of folks who handle chemicals often forget about gloves once they’ve spent a few months in a lab. One spill or splash, and their hands sting or itch for days. I put my trust in nitrile gloves, not latex, since nitrile holds up against corrosive substances much better. Aluminum chloride hexahydrate can irritate the skin and burn if it sits for long. I saw a colleague rub his nose after handling the substance. He ended up with a mild rash and spent hours rinsing it off. This isn’t a rare incident—safety data sheets highlight these problems.
Opening the jar, a whiff sometimes escapes—a sharp smell with acidic bite. It’s not something you want to breathe in. People working in poorly ventilated spaces have complained of coughing, and I heard about a case where a persistent tickle stuck around for days. There are published studies connecting repeated inhalation with respiratory irritation. Exposure guidelines from OSHA and the CDC show this isn’t just lab paranoia. Goggle use and working with a fume hood aren’t just suggestions; they’re requirements for anyone who wants to avoid weeks of coughing or watery eyes.
Most adults wouldn’t eat a spoonful by accident, but young kids can find their way into storage areas. Swallowing the compound can burn the mouth and harm organs if it reaches the bloodstream. Eye contact spells disaster. Even a dust-sized fleck from an unsteady scoop can shoot toward the face. Even after one quick rinse, a stinging, gritty feeling can linger. It beats getting a serious eye injury, but only just.
Some chemicals change personality after weeks in a damp stockroom. Aluminum chloride hexahydrate absorbs water from the air and clumps together, making a mess. Improperly capped bottles turn into sticky masses and corrode counters. Storing this stuff on a high shelf courts disaster if it spills. Clean containers, dry areas, and warning labels keep accidents at bay. Even janitors and those not directly involved in lab work can stumble on a leaky bag or spilled powder if folks don’t clean up properly.
The idea that “it won’t happen to me” often runs wild in labs and industrial spaces. I’ve learned to double-check the lid, wipe my hands, and keep goggles snug. Wearing a dust mask or respirator may seem extra, but it keeps accidental sniffs away. Washing gear down and posting clear signs remind everyone to stay alert. In schools, teachers can keep it locked away, cutting off routes for accidental contact by students.
Aluminum chloride hexahydrate’s no villain, but respect matters. The line between helpful tool and serious irritant is thin. Following long-standing safety routines and urging others to do the same goes a long way. Even though many folks handle it every day without trouble, small mistakes can stack up fast. Respecting its risks, choosing good storage and protection, and keeping chemical hygiene habits sharp means work goes on without nasty surprises.
Aluminum chloride hexahydrate looks unassuming—just some crystals or powder in a bottle. Open the container, leave it out on a humid day, and you’ll quickly spot why people worry about storage. Happy sitting at room temperature, this chemical starts pulling water straight out of the air. Pretty soon, your neat sample becomes a sticky mess, clumping up and sometimes even dissolving. The trouble with this absorption — chemists call it “deliquescence”— isn’t just frustration. When moisture creeps in, the product loses precision, and experiments fail. A smart fix involves keeping containers tightly closed in a spot where humidity is low and the temperature stays steady.
Aluminum chloride hexahydrate hates moisture, but it doesn't exactly love air either. Exposure over time can lead to decomposition. That means the solid can gradually turn yellow or brown, especially if tiny leaks let in oxygen. I’ve worked in student labs and seen bottles left beside open windows—big mistake. Direct sunlight and heat will speed up the breakdown too. A cabinet away from sunlight, away from heat sources, and preferably not near anything wet is where you want your stock.
I once saw a whole batch of aluminum chloride hexahydrate tossed out at a manufacturer because the storage area hit seventy percent humidity for a weekend. That’s real money lost. Policies in industrial settings reflect the impact: manufacturers specify sealed containers and push for storage under nitrogen if possible, especially for big, expensive orders. The FDA and chemical safety boards point out that accidental leaks or improper storage can create hazard risks. In less controlled environments, people sometimes skip desiccators—containers with drying agents that suck up excess moisture. Those end up with product that weighs more than it should since it’s bloated with absorbed water, messing up measurements.
Small changes help: people keep samples in airtight jars, sometimes tucked in a cabinet with a desiccant bag. Even in places without climate-control, simple tricks like labeling date of opening keep things from sitting out too long. In research labs, I saw simple silica gel packs in every cabinet to keep things crisp. Some suppliers now pack the product under dry nitrogen, which keeps oxygen and moisture away until opened. Safety data sheets for aluminum chloride hexahydrate mention these concerns. Companies train staff to put bottles back quickly and to close lids tightly.
So much trouble gets avoided through paying attention at the storage stage. If you lock out humidity, keep away from sunlight, and limit oxygen exposure, you hold onto the quality you paid for. This means better results in chemical reactions, more predictable outcomes, and fewer dollars lost. Storage details may seem tedious, but in practice, they mark the difference between reliable work and a lot of unnecessary drama.
A lot of folks remember aluminum chloride hexahydrate from high school chemistry class or work with it daily in professional labs. This pale yellow, water-loving compound plays a hidden role behind deodorants, water purification, and even pharmaceutical manufacturing. Seems harmless enough, but toss the leftovers carelessly and problems stack up.
Aluminum chloride hexahydrate reacts with water, generating hydrochloric acid. Nobody wants to deal with surprise acid spills, not in the lab, and definitely not down the drain at home. Pouring it down the sink risks corroded pipes, toxic fumes, and depending on the plumbing setup, trouble for the local water treatment plant. Waste management companies find traces of hazardous chemicals showing up where they shouldn’t, and these create headaches for everyone along the waste chain.
I’ve learned from time spent handling surplus chemicals that transporting, storing, and disposing of hazardous substances costs more than most people think, both financially and environmentally. Contaminated water messes with aquatic life and soil, and repeated small mistakes build up. Cities like Los Angeles and New York have discovered concerning trace metals and byproducts in groundwater; some come straight from improper lab and household disposal.
Disposal shouldn’t be about speed—think safety before tossing things away. In most cases, small quantities require chemical neutralization. Adding aluminum chloride hexahydrate to a large container of ice water, slowly and with stirring, can prevent violent reactions. After dilution, adding a base like sodium bicarbonate carefully helps neutralize the acid, protecting both the user and the plumbing. Only fully neutralized solutions can go down the drain, and only if local regulations approve.
Larger quantities or concentrated solutions should go to hazardous waste facilities. Most universities, research centers, and hospitals work with certified waste haulers familiar with regional regulations. These handlers often batch chemicals for professional neutralization and disposal, reducing the risk that ends up in the wrong place. Some local governments host collection days just for household chemicals. Bringing leftovers there means experts take over, and peace of mind follows.
Everybody shares the job of keeping water and soil clean, not just regulatory agencies. A few routine steps—reading the container label, checking your town’s hazardous waste webpage, or asking the building manager—make all the difference. Rushing saves a few minutes, but the fallout from pollution and corroded pipes sticks around for decades.
Manufacturers and suppliers can do more too. Safer packaging, simple instructions, and warning labels encourage responsible habits. Some suppliers offer take-back programs for unused chemicals, closing the product loop safely.
Investing a bit of effort into aluminum chloride hexahydrate disposal won’t draw a crowd, but the impact is real. Better stewardship starts small: think before pouring, neutralize with care, support local waste programs, and don’t ignore the ripple effects of every single lab bottle or industrial drum.
Aluminum chloride hexahydrate stands out on the laboratory shelf. The formula AlCl3·6H2O tells the story: one aluminum atom, three chloride atoms, and six water molecules holding on. In industrial use, this substance comes as a white or yellowish solid, highly soluble in water. The hydration shows up in its crystal structure and in how it reacts with other chemicals.
The “hexahydrate” part means six water molecules are integrated into each formula unit. This isn't just cosmetic—those water molecules affect everything from the melting point to the way it behaves in reactions. Removing the water changes its reactivity and physical character; add water, and you change the substance once again. Most folks who’ve worked in a lab remember how letting aluminum chloride sit out in humid air transforms it pretty quickly, with moisture streaming right in.
Aluminum chloride hexahydrate gets a heavy workout in both industry and research. Water treatment plants use it for coagulation—helping to pull particles out of suspension. In chemistry, it’s a favorite catalyst, especially for Friedel–Crafts reactions, which build all sorts of useful organic compounds. Antiperspirants also rely on it, since aluminum-based compounds help stop sweating. Each use takes advantage of its ability to dissolve nicely, transport ions, and react with a variety of partners.
Every chemist who’s ever tipped a scoop of aluminum chloride into a beaker knows the skin sting and the urge to avoid breathing the dust. The hexahydrate form, because of the water, tends to be less volatile than the anhydrous powder. That's a plus in busy workspaces. Gloves and goggles really aren’t optional—skin and eyes don’t get along well with solutions made from this salt. Factories that move tons of the stuff depend on training and protective systems to keep it contained.
Purity matters in manufacturing. Impurities in aluminum chloride hexahydrate downgrade chemical reactions, foul up finished goods, and lead to inconsistent results. Producers test batches to make sure each scoop matches up to tight quality specifications. The vast global trade in aluminum and chlorides means the hexahydrate can travel long distances from mine to manufacturer to consumer. Traceability, batch records, and strict quality controls build trust all along the route.
Demand keeps growing, not just for industrial scale chemistry but for smaller applications in laboratories, medical devices, and even water purification at home. New technologies, like advanced materials and pharmaceuticals, drive the market to seek ever-higher grades of purity and reliability. Stakeholders evaluate environmental impact and workplace safety more closely each year. In this way, the full chemical formula isn’t just a curiosity; it represents many layers of science, commerce, and safety coming together.
| Names | |
| Preferred IUPAC name | aluminium trichloride hexahydrate |
| Other names |
Aluminum trichloride hexahydrate Aluminium chloride hexahydrate AlCl3·6H2O |
| Pronunciation | /əˌluː.mɪ.nəm ˈklɔː.raɪd ˌhɛk.səˈhaɪ.dreɪt/ |
| Identifiers | |
| CAS Number | 7784-13-6 |
| Beilstein Reference | 3587151 |
| ChEBI | CHEBI:86163 |
| ChEMBL | CHEMBL1201539 |
| ChemSpider | 20311022 |
| DrugBank | DB14536 |
| ECHA InfoCard | 100.028.737 |
| EC Number | 231-208-1 |
| Gmelin Reference | 778834 |
| KEGG | C07299 |
| MeSH | D000591 |
| PubChem CID | 24856 |
| RTECS number | AU5950000 |
| UNII | V47C2G2EJ8 |
| UN number | UN3260 |
| Properties | |
| Chemical formula | AlCl3·6H2O |
| Molar mass | 241.43 g/mol |
| Appearance | White or yellowish crystalline solid |
| Odor | Odorless |
| Density | 2.44 g/cm³ |
| Solubility in water | Very soluble |
| log P | -1.8 |
| Vapor pressure | < 0.1 hPa (20 °C) |
| Acidity (pKa) | 4.8 |
| Basicity (pKb) | -4.6 |
| Magnetic susceptibility (χ) | -52.0e-6 cm³/mol |
| Refractive index (nD) | 1.424 |
| Viscosity | Viscous liquid |
| Dipole moment | 0 D |
| Thermochemistry | |
| Std molar entropy (S⦵298) | 237 J·mol⁻¹·K⁻¹ |
| Std enthalpy of formation (ΔfH⦵298) | -1607.7 kJ/mol |
| Pharmacology | |
| ATC code | S01XA18 |
| Hazards | |
| Main hazards | Corrosive, causes severe skin burns and eye damage, harmful if swallowed, may cause respiratory irritation |
| GHS labelling | GHS07, GHS05 |
| Pictograms | GHS05,GHS07 |
| Signal word | Warning |
| Hazard statements | H302, H315, H319, H335 |
| Precautionary statements | P264, P280, P305+P351+P338, P301+P312, P304+P340, P337+P313, P330, P501 |
| NFPA 704 (fire diamond) | 2-0-1 |
| Explosive limits | Non-explosive |
| Lethal dose or concentration | Oral rat LD50: 3,800 mg/kg |
| LD50 (median dose) | LD50 (median dose): Oral rat LD50: 3,800 mg/kg |
| NIOSH | **AM6075000** |
| PEL (Permissible) | Not established |
| REL (Recommended) | 1 mg/m3 |
| IDLH (Immediate danger) | Not listed |
| Related compounds | |
| Related compounds |
Aluminum chloride Aluminum hydroxide Aluminum sulfate Aluminum nitrate Hydrochloric acid |
