Muriate

Muriate refers to a salt or ester of hydrochloric acid. Hydrochloric acid, with the chemical formula HCl, is a strong acid. When it reacts with a base, it forms a chloride salt. For example, sodium chloride (NaCl), common table salt, is a muriate formed from hydrochloric acid and sodium hydroxide. Other common muriates include potassium chloride (KCl), used as a salt substitute and in fertilizers, and calcium chloride (CaCl2), used as a de-icing agent.

In organic chemistry, muriate can also refer to an ester of hydrochloric acid. These are compounds where the hydrogen atom of HCl is replaced by an organic group. For instance, ethyl chloride (CH3CH2Cl) is an organic muriate, also known as ethyl ester of hydrochloric acid.

The term "muriate" is often used in a more general sense to denote the chloride ion (Cl-) in chemical compounds. This is due to the historical name for hydrochloric acid, which was "muriatic acid." The origin of this name is believed to come from the Latin word "murias," meaning brine or sea-salt, referring to the saline nature of its salts. Therefore, muriates are essentially chloride compounds.