Glossary of Common Chemical Names

Archaic or Common Name

Current Technical Name

Archaic or Common Name

Current Technical Name

Acid of sugar

Oxalic acid.

Indian red

Ferric oxide.

Ackey

Nitric acid.

Isinglass

Agar-agar, gelatine.

Alum or Alum flower or Alum meal

Potassium aluminum sulfate.

Jewellers' rouge

Ferric oxide.

Antichlor

Sodium thiosulfate.

Lampblack

Crude form of carbon.

Antimony black

Antimony trisulfide.

Lead peroxide

Lead dioxide.

Antimony bloom

Antimony trioxide.

Lead protoxide

Lead oxide.

Antimony glance

Antimony trisulfide.

Lime

Calcium oxide.

Aqua fortis

Nitric acid.

Lime (slaked)

Calcium hydroxide.

Aromatic spirits of ammonia

A 10% solution of ammonia.

Liquor ammonia

Ammonium hydroxide (soln.).

Arsenic glass

Arsenic trioxide.

Litharge

Lead monoxide.

Azurite

Mineral form of basic copper carbonate.

Liver of sulphur

Potash sulfurated.

Baking soda

Sodium bicarbonate.

Lunar caustic

Silver nitrate.

Barium white

Barium sulfate.

Lye (soda lye)

Sodium hydroxide.

Bicarbonate of soda

Sodium hydrogen carbonate (sodium bicarbonate).

Magnesia

Magnesium oxide.

Bichrome

Potassium dichromate.

Manganese black

Manganese dioxide.

Bitter salt

Magnesium sulfate.

Marble

Calcium carbonate.

Black ash

Crude form of sodium carbonate.

Milk of lime

Calcium hydroxide.

Black lead

Graphite.

Milk of magnesium

Magnesium hydroxide.

Blanc-fixe

Barium sulfate.

Milk of sulphur

Precipitated sulfur.

Bleaching powder

Calcium hypochlorite.

Mohrs salt

Ferrous ammonium sulfate.

Blue copperas

Copper sulfate (crystals).

"Muriate" of a metal

The metal chloride.

Blue lead

Lead sulfate.

Muriatic acid

Hydrochloric acid.

Blue salts

Nickel sulfate.

Natron

Sodium carbonate.

Blue stone

Copper sulfate (crystals).

Nitre

Potassium nitrate.

Blue vitriol

Copper sulfate (crystals).

Oil of vitriol

Concentrated sulfuric acid.

Bone ash

Crude calcium phosphate.

Oleic acid

CIS-9-octadecenoic acid.

Bone black

Crude animal charcoal.

Paris blue

Ferric ferrocyanide.

Boracic acid

Boric acid.

Pearl ash

Anhydrous potassium carbonate.

Borax

Sodium tetraborate.

Permanent white

Barium sulfate.

Bremen blue

Basic copper carbonate.

Plaster of Paris

Calcium sulfate.

Brimstone

Sulfur.

Plumbago

Graphite.

Burnt alum

Anhydrous potassium aluminum sulfate.

Precipitated chalk

Calcium carbonate.

Burnt lime

Calcium oxide.

Prussian blue

Ferric ferrocyanide.

Burnt ochre or burnt ore

Ferric oxide.

Quicklime

Calcium oxide.

Calomel

Mercurous chloride.

Quicksilver

Mercury.

Carbolic acid

Phenol.

Red lead

Lead tetroxide.

Caustic

"Any strongly alkaline material which has a corrosive or irritating effect on living tissue." ...Hawley's condensed Chemical Dictionary.

Red liquor

Aluminum acetate (soln.).

Caustic lime

Calcium hydroxide.

Red prussiate of potash

Potassium ferricyanide

Caustic potash

Potassium hydroxide.

Red prussiate of soda

Sodium ferricyanide

Caustic soda

Sodium hydroxide.

Rochelle salt

Potassium sodium tartrate

Chalk

Calcium carbonate.

Rock salt

Sodium chloride

Chili nitre or chili saltpetre

Sodium nitrate.

Rouge

Ferric oxide

Chinese red

Basic lead chromate.

Sal ammoniac

Ammonium chloride.

Chinese white

Zinc oxide.

Salt

Sodium chloride.

Chloride of lime

Calcium hypochlorite.

Salt of tartar or salt of wormwood

Potassium carbonate.

Chloride of soda

Sodium hypochlorite.

Saltpetre

Potassium nitrate.

Chlorinated lime

Calcium hypochlorite.

Slaked lime

Calcium hydroxide.

Chrome alum

Potassium chromium sulfate.

Soda ash

Anhydrous sodium carbonate.

Chrome green

Chromium oxide.

Soda lime

Mixture of calcium oxide and sodium hydroxide.

Chrome red

Basic lead chromate.

Soda monohydrate

Sodium carbonate (crystals).

Chrome yellow

Lead chromate.

Soda nitre

Sodium nitrate.

Chromic acid

Chromium trioxide.

Soda or washing soda (crystals)

Sodium carbonate (crystals).

Common salt

Sodium chloride.

Sour salt

Citric acid.

Copperas (blue)

Copper sulfate (crystals).

Spirit of hartshorn

Ammonia solution.

Copperas (green)

Ferrous sulfate.

Spirit of salt

Hydrochloric acid.

Corundum

Chiefly aluminum oxide.

Spirit of wine

Ethanol (ethyl alcohol).

Cream of tartar

Potassium hydrogen tartrate.

Sugar of lead

Lead acetate.

Crocus

Ferric oxide.

Tin crystals

Stannous chloride.

Crystal carbonate

Sodium carbonate.

Trona

Sodium carbonate (natural).

Dechlor

Sodium thiosulfate.

Unslaked lime

Calcium oxide.

Epsom salts

Magnesium sulfate.

Venetian red

Ferric oxide.

Farina

Starch.

Verdigris

Basic copper acetate.

Ferro-prussiate

Potassium ferrocyanide.

Vienna lime

Calcium carbonate.

Ferrum

Iron.

Vinegar

Crude form of acetic acid.

Fixed white

Barium sulfate.

Vitriol

Sulfuric acid.

"Flowers" of sulfur

Sulfur.

Washing soda

Sodium carbonate (crystals).

"Flowers" of a metal

Obsolete term for an oxide of a metal e.g. flowers of zinc is zinc oxide.

Waterglass

Sodium silicate (soln. ).

French verdigris

Basic copper acetate.

White caustic

Sodium hydroxide.

Glauber's salt

Sodium sulfate.

White lead

Basic lead carbonate.

Green verditer

Basic copper carbonate.

White vitriol

Zinc sulfate (crystal).

Green vitriol

Ferrous sulfate (crystals).

Whiting

Calcium carbonate.

Gypsum

Caleium sulfate.

Yellow prussiate of potash

Potassium ferrocyanide.

Heavy spar

Barium sulfate.

Yellow prussiate of soda

Sodium ferrocyanide.

 Hypo

 Sodium thiosulfate.

Zinc vitriol

Zinc sulfate.

Zinc white

Zinc oxide.