Sodium Hydrosulfite, which also referred to as Sodium Dithionate, is crystalline compound that is white in color and has sulfurous odor because of the sulfur content in it. Chemically it is a sodium salt of dithionous acid, and hence the name Sodium Dithionate. The name Sodium Hydrosulfite is in fact a commercial name for products that have Sodium Dithionate, Na2S2O4, as a chemically active ingredient. Pertaining to its versatile chemical properties, the chemical finds wide application in various industries. Paper, textile, leather goods, metal recoveries, wine industry, are a few that can be named where Sodium Hydrosulfite is used.
If we talk about the chemical properties of the compound, then it is a water-soluble chemical and can be used as a reducing agent in aqueous form because of its electron donating nature (a compound is said to be reducing if it donates an electron). What makes it even more effective is the fact that because of its reducing nature, it eliminates any excess dye, unwanted pigments as well as any residual oxide, thus improving the overall quality of the textile color.
Because of its water soluble nature is one of the preferred chemicals to be used in fabric dying industries, where if any water insoluble dye, if used, can be reduced to a water-soluble alkali metal salt. The reducing nature also makes it a useful compound to be used in processes like water cleaning, gas purification to name a few.
When used in any chemical reaction, Sodium Hydrosulfite has this tendency to lose its sulfur and add it to the other compound in the reaction. So, it is used as a sulfonating agent in chemical industries.
The compound is also used in iron extraction processes. As dithionate ion has a strong affinity as a chelating agent for bi and trivalent cations, therefore when used in extraction process it increases the solubility of iron. Because of which the extracted iron is free of impurities and is called as “Free Iron”.
Acting as a cation source, i.e. someone who donates a positive ion (which in this case is sodium), Sodium Hydrosulfite is used as chemical agent for environmental improvement, water treatment and gas purification processes.
The best thing about the chemical is the fact that it has a very low toxicity range, and hence is not harmful as compared to other chemicals that are used for similar purposes making Sodium Hydrosulfite such a useful and versatile compound.
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