Common Chemical Names

chemical names

This is kind of a long post, but maybe something you might want to print for future reference.  As you may know, I am always researching old books to learn the ways of our ancestors.  One thing I have had a rough time with is the old chemical terms.  The following is a list of older common names and the current chemical names  I recently ran across.  This list has been a big help to me.

Common Chemical Names

Common NameChemical Name
acetonedimethyl ketone; 2-propanone (usually known as acetone)
acid potassium sulfatepotassium bisulfate
acid of sugaroxalic acid
ackeynitric acid
alcali volatilammonium hydroxide
alcohol, grainethyl alcohol
alcohol sulfuriscarbon disulfide
alcohol, woodmethyl alcohol
alumaluminum potassium sulfate
aluminaaluminum oxide
antichlorsodium thiosulfate
antifreezeethylene glycol
antimony blackantimony trisulfide
antimony bloomantimony trioxide
antimony glanceantimony trisulfide
antimony red (vermillion)antimony oxysulfide
aqua ammoniaaqueous solution of ammonium hydroxide
aqua fortisnitric acid
aqua regianitrohydrochloric acid
aromatic spirit of ammoniaammonia in alcohol
arsenic glassarsenic trioxide
azuritemineral form of basic copper carbonate
asbestosmagnesium silicate
aspirinacetylsalicylic acid
baking sodasodium bicarbonate
banana oil (artificial)isoamyl acetate
barium whitebarium sulfate
benzolbenzene
bicarbonate of sodasodium hydrogen carbonate or sodium bicarbonate
bichloride of mercurymercuric chloride
bichromepotassium dichromate
bitter saltmagnesium sulfate
black ashcrude form of sodium carbonate
black copper oxidecupric oxide
black leadgraphite (carbon)
blanc-fixebarium sulfate
bleaching powderchlorinated lime; calcium hypochlorite
blue copperascopper sulfate (crystals)
blue leadlead sulfate
blue saltsnickel sulfate
blue stonecopper sulfate (crystals)
blue vitriolcopper sulfate
bluestonecopper sulfate
bone ashcrude calcium phosphate
bone blackcrude animal charcoal
boracic acidboric acid
boraxsodium borate; sodium tetraborate
bremen bluebasic copper carbonate
brimstonesulfur
burnt alumanhydrous potassium aluminum sulfate
burnt limecalcium oxide
burnt ochreferric oxide
burnt oreferric oxide
brineaqueous sodium chloride solution
butter of antimonyantimony trichloride
butter of tinanhydrous stannic chloride
butter of zinczinc chloride
calomelmercury chloride; mercurous chloride
carbolic acidphenol
carbonic acid gascarbon dioxide
caustic limecalcium hydroxide
caustic potashpotassium hydroxide
caustic sodasodium hydroxide
chalkcalcium carbonate
Chile saltpetersodium nitrate
Chile nitresodium nitrate
Chinese redbasic lead chromate
Chinese whitezinc oxide
chloride of sodasodium hypochlorite
chloride of limecalcium hypochlorite
chrome alumchromic potassium sulfate
chrome greenchromium oxide
chrome yellowlead (VI) chromate
chromic acidchromium trioxide
copperasferrous sulfate
corrosive sublimatemercury (II) chloride
corundum (ruby, sapphire)chiefly aluminum oxide
cream of tartarpotassium bitartrate
crocus powderferric oxide
crystal carbonatesodium carbonate
dechlorsodium thiophosphate
diamondcarbon crystal
emery powderimpure aluminum oxide
epsom saltsmagnesium sulfate
ethanolethyl alcohol
farinastarch
ferro prussiatepotassium ferricyanide
ferrumiron
flores martisanhydride iron (III) chloride
fluorsparnatural calcium fluoride
fixed whitebarium sulfate
flowers of sulfursulfur
‘flowers of’ any metaloxide of the metal
formalinaqueous formaldehyde solution
French chalknatural magnesium silicate
French vergidrisbasic copper acetate
galenanatural lead sulfide
Glauber’s saltsodium sulfate
green verditerbasic copper carbonate
green vitriolferrous sulfate crystals
gypsumnatural calcium sulfate
hard oilboiled linseed oil
heavy sparbarium sulfate
hydrocyanic acidhydrogen cynanide
hypo (photography)sodium thiosulfate solution
Indian redferric oxide
Isinglassagar-agar gelatin
jeweler’s rougeferric oxide
killed spiritszinc chloride
lampblackcrude form of carbon; charcoal
laughing gasnitrous oxide
lead peroxidelead dioxide
lead protoxidelead oxide
limecalcium oxide
lime, slakedcalcium hydroxide
limewateraqueous solution of calcium hydroxide
liquor ammoniaammonium hydroxide solution
lithargelead monoxide
lunar causticsilver nitrate
liver of sulfursufurated potash
lye or soda lyesodium hydroxide
magnesiamagnesium oxide
manganese blackmanganese dioxide
marblemainly calcium carbonate
mercury oxide, blackmercurous oxide
methanolmethyl alcohol
methylated spiritsmethyl alcohol
milk of limecalcium hydroxide
milk of magnesiummagnesium hydroxide
milk of sulfurprecipitated sulfur
“muriate” of a metalchloride of the metal
muriatic acidhydrochloric acid
natronsodium carbonate
nitrepotassium nitrate
nordhausen acidfuming sulfuric acid
oil of marsdeliquescent anhydrous iron (III) chloride
oil of vitriolsulfuric acid
oil of wintergreen (artificial)methyl salicylate
orthophosphoric acidphosphoric acid
Paris blueferric ferrocyanide
Paris greencopper acetoarsenite
Paris whitepowdered calcium carbonate
pear oil (artificial)isoamyl acetate
pearl ashpotassium carbonate
permanent whitebarium sulfate
plaster of Pariscalcium sulfate
plumbagographite
potashpotassium carbonate
potassapotassium hydroxide
precipitated chalkcalcium carbonate
Prussic acidhydrogen cyanide
pyrotetrasodium pyrophosphate
quicklimecalcium oxide
quicksilvermercury
red leadlead tetraoxide
red liquoraluminum acetate solution
red prussiate of potashpotassium ferrocyanide
red prussiate of sodasodium ferrocyanide
Rochelle saltpotassium sodium tartrate
rock saltsodium chloride
rouge, jeweler’sferric oxide
rubbing alcoholisopropyl alcohol
sal ammoniacammonium chloride
sal sodasodium carbonate
salt, tablesodium chloride
salt of lemonpotassium binoxalate
salt of tartarpotassium carbonate
saltpeterpotassium nitrate
silicasilicon dioxide
slaked limecalcium hydroxide
soda ashsodium carbonate
soda nitresodium nitrate
soda lyesodium hydroxide
soluble glasssodium silicate
sour waterdilute sulfuric acid
spirit of hartshornammonium hydroxide solution
spirit of salthydrochloric acid
spirit of wineethyl alcohol
spirits of nitrous etherethyl nitrate
sugar, tablesucrose
sugar of leadlead acetate
sulfuric etherethyl ether
talc or talcummagnesium silicate
tin crystalsstannous chloride
tronanatural sodium carbonate
unslaked limecalcium oxide
Venetian redferric oxide
verdigrisbasic copper acetate
Vienna limecalcium carbonate
vinegarimpure dilute acetic acid
vitamin Cascorbic acid
vitriolsulfuric acid
washing sodasodium carbonate
water glasssodium silicate
white causticsodium hydroxide
white leadbasic lead carbonate
white vitriolzinc sulfate crystals
yellow prussiate of potashpotassium ferrocyanide
yellow prussiate of sodasodium ferrocyanide
zinc vitriolzinc sulfate
zinc whitezinc oxide
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