U+77FE "矾" CJK Unified Ideograph-# Unicode Character

U+77FE "矾" CJK Unified Ideograph-# is a Chinese character that primarily refers to alum, a type of double sulfate salt, or more broadly denotes vitriol or various mineral astringents used in traditional chemistry, dyeing, and water purification. This ideograph is composed of the radical "石" meaning stone or mineral, combined with the phonetic component "凡" which hints at its pronunciation in Mandarin as "fán." In classical and modern Chinese, "矾" appears in compounds such as "明矾" for potassium alum and "胆矾" for blue vitriol, reflecting its continued relevance in both historical alchemical contexts and contemporary industrial applications.