Sodium carbonate

Absorption

The uptake of sodium, via exposure to sodium carbonate, is much less than the uptake of sodium via food. Therefore, sodium carbonate is not expected to be systemically available in the body. Furthermore, an oral uptake of sodium carbonate will result in a neutralization in the stomach due to the gastric acid.

Toxicity

Man: LD50 (Oral) - 714 mg/kg, Effect: Behavioural,General Anesthetic : GI Ulceration or Bleeding from small intestine. Mouse : LC50 ( Inhalation ) - 1200mg/m3/2h : GI Other Change Mouse : LC50 ( Intraperitoneal ) - 117mg/kg Mouse : LD50 ( Oral) - 6600mg/kg Mouse : LD50 (Subcutaneous ) - 2210 mg/kg Rat : LC50 ( Inhalation ) 2300mg/m3/2H Rat: LD50 (Oral) - 4090 mg/kg

Description

Sodium carbonate is known as soda ash or washing soda and is a heavily used inorganic compound. Approximately 45 million tons of soda ash are produced globally both naturally and synthetically. Soda ash is obtained naturally primarily from the mineral trona, but it can also be obtained from nahcolite (NaHCO3) and salt brine deposits. Trona is a freshwater sodium carbonate-bicarbonate evaporite, with the formula Na3CO3HCO3 .2H2O. The largest known deposit of trona is located in the Green River area of Wyoming, and other large deposits are found in Egypt’s Nile Valley and California’s Searles basin around the city of Trona. Soda ash is produced from mined trona by crushing and screening the ore and then heating it. Th is produces a soda ash mixed with impurities. Pure soda ash is obtained by dissolving the product and precipitating impurities combined with filtering processes.

Description

Sodium carbonate (Na2CO3) is a moderately strong base used commonly in organic chemistry. It is regularly employed as the base of choice for palladium catalyzed reactions such as Suzuki couplings. Sodium carbonate is also used for other reactions that require a base to neutralize acids that form during reactions. For example, alkylation reactions often employ sodium carbonate to mop up protons (acid) that forms during the reaction.

Chemical properties

Sodium carbonate, Na2C03, also known as soda or soda ash,is the most important of the industrial alkalis. It is a white or grayish-white, lumpy, water-soluble powder that loses its water of crystallization when heated. It decomposes at a temperature of about 852°C (1560°F). It exists in solution only. It is prepared by the combination of carbon dioxide and water.

Physical properties

Anhydrous sodium carbonate (soda ash, sal soda) is a white powder, which cakes and aggregates on exposure to air due to the formation of hydrates. The monohydrate, Na2CO3·H2O, is a white crystalline material, which is soluble in water and insoluble in alcohol; r.d. 2.532; loses water at 109°C; m.p. 851°C. The decahydrate, Na2CO3·10H2O (washing soda), is a translucent efluorescent crystalline solid; r.d. 1.44; loses water at 32–34°C to give the monohydrate; m.p. 851°C.

Occurrence

Ash is a tree found in regions of North America

History

Sodium carbonate, Na₂CO₃, has been used historically for making glass, soap, and gunpowder. Along with potassium carbonate, known as potash, sodium carbonate was the basis of the alkali industry, which was one of the first major chemical industries. Throughout history, alkalis were obtained from natural sources. Soda ash was also produced by burning wood and leaching the ashes with water to obtain a solution that yielded soda ash when the water was boiled off. The name soda ash originates from the barilla plant, which was used to produce soda ash. The scientific name of this plant is Salsola soda, but it goes by the common names of sodawort or glasswort because the soda produced from it was used in making glass. Barilla is a common plant found in saline waters along the Mediterranean Sea in Spain and Italy. Barilla was dried and burned to produce soda ash. The depletion of European forests and international disputes made the availability of alkali salts increasingly uncertain during the latter part of the 18th century. LeBlanc proposed a procedure in 1783, and a plant based on LeBlanc’s method was opened in 1791. Unfortunately, LeBlanc’s association with French Royalty led to the confi scation of the plant at the time of the French Revolution. Furthermore, confl icting claims for LeBlanc’s method were made by several other chemists and he never received the reward.

The Uses of Sodium carbonate

Soda ash is used in glass making, in production of sodium chemicals (such as sodium chromates, phosphates, and silicates), in the wood pulp industry, in production of soaps and detergents, in oil refining, in water softening, and in refining of nonferrous metals. In its hydrous crystallized form (Na2C03.10H2O), it is known as sal soda,washing soda,or soda crystals, not to be confused with baking soda,which is sodium hydrogen carbonate or sodium bicarbonate (NaHC03). Its monohydrate form(Na2C03·H20) is the standard compound for scouring solutions.
When in solution, sodium carbonate creates less alkalinity than the hydroxides. A 0.1% solution creates a pH of 11;a fully saturated solution is 35%, which has a pH of 12.5.
The safety requirements for sodium carbonate, because of its lower alkalinity, can be considered less demanding than those for the related bicarbonates.

The Uses of Sodium carbonate

Sodium Carbonate is an alkali that exists as crystals or crystalline powder and is readily soluble in water. it has numerous functions: an antioxidant, a curing and pickling agent, a flavoring agent, a processing aid, a sequestrant, and an agent for ph control. it is used in instant soups to neutralize acidity. it is used in alginate water des- sert gels to sequester the calcium, allowing the alginate to solubilize. it is also used in puddings, sauces, and baked goods.

What are the applications of Application

Sodium carbonate, anhydrous is used in chromatography and protein isolation techniques

Indications

Used topically for dermatitides, mouthwash, vaginal douche; veterinary use as emergency emetic.Occasionally, for dermatitides topically as a lotion. Medication (Vet): In solution to cleanse skin, in eczema, to soften scabs of ringworm.

Background

Sodium Carbonate is the disodium salt of carbonic acid with alkalinizing property. When dissolved in water, sodium carbonate forms carbonic acid and sodium hydroxide. As a strong base, sodium hydroxide neutralizes gastric acid thereby acting as an antacid.

Definition

Sodium carbonate is an organic sodium salt and a carbonate salt. A dibasic acid formed in small amounts in solution when carbon dioxide dissolves in water: CO2 + H2O=H2CO2It forms two series of salts: hydrogencarbonates (HCO3–) and carbonates (CO32-). The pure acid cannot be isolated.

Production Methods

Sodium carbonate is produced on all continents of the world from its minerals. It is present in large deposits in Africa and the United States as either carbonate or trona, a mixed ore of equal molar amounts of carbonate and bicarbonate. However, about 70% of the world production of sodium carbonate is manufactured by the Solvay (ammonia soda) process, whereby ammonia is added to a solution of sodium chloride. Carbon dioxide is then bubbled through to precipitate the bicarbonate (NaHCO3) that is decomposed by heat-producing sodium carbonate. In the United States. all production is based on the minerals that contain sodium carbonate. Different qualities of sodium carbonate are produced: technical, food, and pharmaceutical grades.

General Description

Sodium carbonate is a water soluble inorganic salt commonly used as a weak base. Its aqueous solution has the ability to uptake carbon dioxide. It can also catalyze the conversion of sewage sludge to liquid fuels.

Flammability and Explosibility

Non flammable

Biochem/physiol Actions

Buffer component, may be used for the removal of peripheral membrane proteins.

Safety Profile

Poison by intraperitoneal route. Moderately toxic by inhalation and subcutaneous routes. Mlldly toxic by ingestion. Experimental reproductive effects. A skin and eye irritant. It migrates to food from packagmg materials. Can react violently with Al, P2O5, H2SO4, F2, Li, 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene. When heated to decomposition it emits toxic fumes of Na2O

Reaction profile

Sodium carbonate (Na2CO3) is a moderately strong base used commonly in organic chemistry. It is regularly employed as the base of choice for palladium catalyzed reactions such as Suzuki couplings. Sodium carbonate is also used for other reactions that require a base to neutralize acids that form during reactions. For example, alkylation reactions often employ sodium carbonate to mop up protons (acid) that forms during the reaction.

Pharmacodynamics

Alkalizing buffering action: Sodium bicarbonate is an alkalinizing agent that dissociates to provide a bicarbonate ion. Bicarbonate over that needed to buffer hydrogen ions causes systemic alkalinization and, when excreted, urine alkalinization as well. Oral antacid action: Taken orally, sodium bicarbonate neutralizes stomach acid by the above mechanism.

Purification Methods

It crystallises from water as the decahydrate which is redissolved in water to give a near-saturated solution. By bubbling CO2, NaHCO3 is precipitated. It is filtered off, washed and ignited for 2hours at 280o [MacLaren & Swinehart J Am Chem Soc 73 1822 1951]. Before being used as a volumetric standard, analytical grade material should be dried by heating at 260-270o for 0.5hour and allowed to cool in a desiccator. It has a transition point at 450o, and its solubility in water is 21.58% at 20o (decahydrate in solid phase), 49.25% at 35o (heptahydrate in solid phase) and 44.88% at 75o(monohydrate in solid phase) [D.nges in Handbook of Preparative Inorganic Chemistry (Ed. Brauer) Academic Press Vol I p 987-988 1963]. After three recrystallisations, technical grade Na2CO3 had Cr, Mg, K, P, Al, W, Sc and Ti at 32, 9.4, 6.6, 3.6, 2.4, 0.6, 0.2 and 0.2 ppm respectively; another technical source had Cr, Mg, Mo, P, Si, Sn and Ti at 2.6, 0.4, 4.2, 13.4, 32, 0.6, 0.8 ppm respectively.