Copper arsenate (Cu
3(AsO
4)
2·4H
2O, or Cu
5H
2(AsO
4)
4·2H
2O), also called copper orthoarsenate, tricopper arsenate, cupric arsenate, or tricopper orthoarsenate, is a blue or bluish-green powder insoluble in water and alcohol and soluble in aqueous
ammonium and dilute acids. Its
CAS number
A CAS Registry Number (also referred to as CAS RN or informally CAS Number) is a unique identification number assigned by the Chemical Abstracts Service (CAS), US to every chemical substance described in the open scientific literature. It inclu ...
is or .
Uses
Copper arsenate is an
insecticide used in agriculture. It is also used as a
herbicide,
fungicide, and a
rodenticide
Rodenticides are chemicals made and sold for the purpose of killing rodents. While commonly referred to as "rat poison", rodenticides are also used to kill mice, squirrels, woodchucks, chipmunks, porcupines, nutria, beavers, and voles. Despi ...
. It is also used as a poison in
slug baits.
Copper arsenate can also be a misnomer for
copper arsenite
Scheele's Green, also called Schloss Green, is chemically a cupric hydrogen arsenite (also called copper arsenite or acidic copper arsenite), . It is chemically related to Paris Green. Scheele's Green was invented in 1775 by Carl Wilhelm Sche ...
, especially when meant as a
pigment
A pigment is a colored material that is completely or nearly insoluble in water. In contrast, dyes are typically soluble, at least at some stage in their use. Generally dyes are often organic compounds whereas pigments are often inorganic compou ...
.
Natural occurrences
Anhydrous copper arsenate, Cu
3(AsO
4)
2, is found in nature as the mineral lammerite. Copper arsenate tetrahydrate, Cu
3(AsO
4)
2·4H
2O, occurs naturally as the mineral rollandite.
Related compounds
Copper arsenate hydroxide or basic copper arsenate (Cu(OH)AsO
4) is a basic variant with CAS number . It is found naturally as the mineral
olivenite
Olivenite is a copper arsenate mineral, formula Cu2 As O4O H. It crystallizes in the monoclinic system (pseudo-orthorhombic), and is sometimes found in small brilliant crystals of simple prismatic habit terminated by domal faces. More commonl ...
. It is used as an insecticide, fungicide, and
miticide
Acaricides are pesticides that kill members of the arachnid subclass ''Acari'', which includes ticks and mites.
Acaricides are used both in medicine and agriculture, although the desired selective toxicity differs between the two fields.
Termino ...
. Its use is banned in Thailand since 2001.
See also
*
Lead arsenate
Lead hydrogen arsenate, also called lead arsenate, acid lead arsenate or LA, chemical formula PbHAsO4, is an inorganic insecticide used primarily against the potato beetle.
Lead arsenate was the most extensively used arsenical insecticide.Peryea ...
*
Calcium arsenate
Calcium arsenate is the inorganic compound with the formula Ca3(AsO4)2. A colourless salt, it was originally used as a pesticide and as a germicide. It is highly soluble in water, in contrast to lead arsenate, which makes it more toxic. The min ...
*
Paris Green (copper acetoarsenite)
*
Chromated copper arsenate
*
Scheele's Green
Scheele's Green, also called Schloss Green, is chemically a cupric hydrogen arsenite (also called copper arsenite or acidic copper arsenite), . It is chemically related to Paris Green. Scheele's Green was invented in 1775 by Carl Wilhelm Sch ...
(copper arsenite)
References
External links
National Pollutant Inventory - Copper and compounds fact sheet
{{Insecticides
Arsenates
Copper(II) compounds
Inorganic insecticides
Arsenical herbicides
Rodenticides
Fungicides