Is potassium alum the same as aluminum sulfate?
Potassium alum is aluminum potassium sulfate, KAl(SO4)2. Aluminum sulfate is Al2(SO4)3. So aluminum is in there. Aluminum is actually good for the skin. A case in point: Burrow’s solution for poison ivy and other skin problems. Drug stores sell Burrow’s solution packets ready-to-use. One tears open a packet of aluminum sulfate and one of calcium acetate. Add them both to water, and they react: 3Ca(C2H3O2)2 + Al2(SO4)3 ===> 3CaSO4(s) + 2Al(C2H3O2)3(aq) You soak in the aluminum acetate solution. The solution must be prepared fresh, because it hydrolyzes to inactive aluminum oxides. Your grandfather’s Alzheimer came from somewhere else. Aluminum getting into persons’ bloodstreams from dialysis is another issue. Will you never cook in aluminum pans again?
