It is primarily used as an easily handled form of hydroxylamine, which is a volatile liquid.
[2] Hydroxylammonium sulfate is prepared industrially by protonation of hydroxylamine.
The latter is produced by the hydrogenation of nitric oxide using a platinum catalyst:[2] Another route to NH2OH is the Raschig process: aqueous ammonium nitrite is reduced by HSO−3 and SO2 at 0 °C to yield a hydroxylamido-N,N-disulfonate anion::[3] This ammonium hydroxylamine disulfonate anion is then hydrolyzed to give hydroxylammonium sulfate: Almost all hydroxylamine and its salts are used to make precursors to nylons via cyclohexanone oxime.
Hydroxylammonium sulfate is used in the production of anti-skinning agents, pharmaceuticals, rubber, textiles, plastics and detergents.
(NH3OH)2SO4 is a starting material for some insecticides, herbicides and growth regulators.