Sodium acetate

Description

A colorless, hygroscopic powder. Hydrated sodium acetate is used in photographic emulsions as a buffer. It is also used as a mordant for dyeing textiles and as a preservative in tanning hides.

Synonyms and Related Terms

sodium acetate trihydrate; Natriumacetat (Deut.); acetato de sódio (Port.)

Chemical structure

Other Properties

Soluble in water. Slightly soluble in ethanol. Soluble in ether.

Composition	NaC2H3O2
CAS	127-09-3 (anhydrous)
Melting Point	58
Density	1.45
Molecular Weight	mol. wt. = 82.04
Boiling Point	324

Hazards and Safety

Combustible. Contact may cause irritation.

LINK: International Chemical Safety Card

Authority

• Richard S. Lewis, Hawley's Condensed Chemical Dictionary, Van Nostrand Reinhold, New York, 10th ed., 1993

• The Merck Index, Martha Windholz (ed.), Merck Research Labs, Rahway NJ, 10th edition, 1983 Comment: entry 8711

• Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia, at http://www.wikipedia.com Comment: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sodium_acetate (Jan. 6 2006)