Sodium Bicarbonate

About This Product

Sodium bicarbonate, sodium hydrogen carbonate with formula NaHCO3 and CAS number 144-55-8, is a fine white crystalline powder, moderately soluble in water and giving a mildly alkaline solution around pH 8.3. Its industrial applications turn on its decomposition rather than on its solution chemistry. Heated above about 100 degrees Celsius it breaks down to sodium carbonate, carbon dioxide and water, and the escaping gas leaves the residual solid with a greatly expanded internal surface area. Dry sorbent injection exploits exactly that: milled bicarbonate blown into a hot flue duct decomposes in flight, and the porous soda produced captures sulphur dioxide, hydrogen chloride and hydrogen fluoride far more efficiently than pre-made soda ash would, so no scrubber vessel or slurry handling is needed. In blast cleaning the same material is used as a soft abrasive, hard enough to strip coatings but friable enough to leave soft substrates such as aluminium, brick and stone undamaged, and water-soluble so residue rinses away. It is also the active agent in BC dry powder fire extinguishers. It is used in flue gas treatment, soda blasting, fire extinguishers, pH correction, dialysis solutions, animal feed and detergents. Bio Green Chem supplies sodium bicarbonate to specification on assay, particle size, moisture, chloride, iron, ammonia and heavy metals.