CHEMISTRY GLOSSARY

mercaptans    →   merkaptani

Mercaptans are a traditional term abandoned by IUPAC, synonymous with thiols, a sulfur-containing organic compound with the general formula R-SH where R is any radical. This term is still widely used.

mineral acid    →   mineralna kiselina

Mineral acid is an acid made from minerals by chemical reaction, e.g. hydrochloric acid is produced from sodium chloride and sulphuric acid is made from sulphur.

smog    →   smog

Smog is a mixture of smoke and fog. The term is used to describe city fogs in which there is a large proportion of particulate matter (tiny pieces of carbon from exhausts) and also a high concentration of sulphur and nitrogen gases.

Frasch proces    →   Fraschov postupak

Frasch proces is a method of obtaining sulphur from underground deposits using a tube consisting of three concentric pipes. Superheated steam is passed down the outer pipe to melt the sulphur, which is forced up through the middle pipe by compressed air fed through the inner tube. The steam in the outer casing keeps the sulphur molten in the pipe. It was named after the German-born American chemist Herman Frasch (1851-1914).

hydrogen    →   vodik

Hydrogen was discovered by Sir Henry Cavendish (England) in 1766. The origin of the name comes from the Greek words hydro and genes meaning water and generate. It is colourless, odourless gas, burns and forms explosive mixtures in air. Reacts violently with oxidants. Hydrogen is the most abundant element in the universe. Commercial quantities of hydrogen are produced by reacting superheated steam with methane or carbon. In lab work from reaction of metals with acid solutions or electrolysis. Most hydrogen is used in the production of ammonia and in metal refining. Also used as fuel in rockets. Its two heavier isotopes (deuterium and tritium) used respectively for nuclear fusion.

methionine    →   metionin

Methionine is neutral amino acids with polar side chains. It is one of the two sulfur-containing amino acids. Methionine is a fairly hydrophobic amino acid and typically found buried within the interior of a protein. It can form stacking interactions with the aromatic moieties of tryptophan, phenylalanine, and tyrosine. It is an essential amino acid, which means that humans cannot synthesize it, so it must be ingested.

• Abbreviations: Met, M
• IUPAC name: 2-amino-4-methylsulfanylbutanoic acid
• Molecular formula: C₅H₁₁NO₂S
• Molecular weight: 149.21 g/mol

solid solution    →   čvrste otopine

Solid solution is a crystalline material that is a mixture of two or more components, with ions, atoms, or molecules of one component replacing some of the ions, atoms of the other component in its normal crystal lattice.

thio    →   tio

Thio- is a prefix that means, replace oxygen with sulphur. For example, a sulphate ion is SO₄^2-; a thiosulphate ion is S2O₃^2-. A cyanate ion is OCN^-; a thiocyanate ion is SCN^-.

vulcanisation    →   vulkanizacija

Vulcanisation (vulcanisation of rubber) is a process of combining rubber with sulphur or other substances that causes the polymer chains to crosslink, making them stronger and more elastic.

Zimmermann-Reinhardt’s reagent    →   Zimmermann-Reinhardtov reagens

Zimmermann-Reinhardt’s reagent is a mixture of manganese(II) sulphate, sulphuric acid and phosphorus acid. It is used for preventing oxidation of chloride ion while titrating iron(II) ion with permanganate solution.