Sodium magnesium sulfate decahydrate, Na(2)Mg(SO(4))(2).10H(2)O, a new sulfate salt.

The structure of synthetic disodium magnesium disulfate decahydrate at 180 K consists of alternating layers of water-coordinated [Mg(H(2)O)(6)](2+) octahedra and [Na(2)(SO(4))(2)(H(2)O)(4)](2-) sheets, parallel to [100]. The [Mg(H(2)O)(6)](2+) octahedra are joined to one another by a single hydrogen bond, the other hydrogen bonds being involved in inter-layer linkage. The Mg(2+) cation occupies a crystallographic inversion centre.