Overview of Sodium Formate | LCY - 李長榮

Pentaerythritol is a polyol organic compound with the formula C5H12O4. It is soluble in water, methanol, glycerol, etc., with the appearance of white crystals; the molecular formula of dipentaerythritol is C10H22O7. It is slightly soluble in water and has the appearance of white crystalline powder.

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Pentaerythritol and dipentaerythritol are used in the production of resins, lubricants, antioxidants, etc. They are also used as a raw material for the synthesis of rosin ester, which is commonly applied in paint, desiccants and adhesives, boasting a wide range of industrial and everyday applications.

Preparation of sodium formate

Common methods to prepare sodium formate include:

1. Catalyzed reaction of sodium hydroxide with carbon monoxide
2. Reacting chloroform with sodium hydroxide
3. Obtained as a byproduct from pentaerythritol production from formaldehyde

Downstream products and Environment friendly

Alcohols and their derivatives are assembled from carbon, oxygen and hydrogen atoms, and do not easily cause ocean or land pollution. They can be obtained from natural gas and are soluble in organic solvents, making them an eco-friendly raw material. The downstream products are relatively easy to prepare and are highly economical, examples include formaldehyde, ethylene, pentaerythritol and sodium formate.

Common Applications for Sodium Formate

Sodium Formate is often used as a deicer for runways and roads in temperate and continental climate zones. The non-corrosive sodium formate can quickly penetrate solid snow and ice layers and melt the ice rapidly without damaging the asphalt, making it a great replacement for calcium chloride.

Furthermore, it can be used as a dyeing agent for printing or a bleaching agent for cotton lint in textile and fabric applications; In India and Brazil where the leather industry plays an important role, sodium formate is often used as a tanning agent for leather tanning.

Sodium formate is basic in aqueous solution of weak acid (formic acid) and strong base (sodium hydroxide). In chemical reactions, it can be used as a buffering agent to increase pH levels, a reducing agent for precious metals, a reagent for the determination of phosphorus and arsenic and as a mordant.

In exploratory drilling, high-density saturated sodium formate solution can enhance machines’ high-temperature resistance, prevent rust and exhibit microbial degradation functions. The use of sodium formate helps stabilize the rock layer and reduce the impact on the soil environment during oil explorations.

Recommendations and Precautionary Guidelines

For purer and a more stable sodium formate, it is recommended to select sodium formate made from natural gas-derived methanol. It is more environmentally friendly compared to production from carbon monoxide or petroleum-derived methanol. LCY’s sodium formate is made from natural gas-derived methanol, and has 97% purity, making it an excellent choice for a wide range of industrial applications.

Sodium formate is not harmful to the human body; however, it may cause irritation if it comes in contact with mucous membranes such as the eyes or the respiratory tract. Furthermore, industrial-grade sodium formate should not be used in food products.

ReAgent Chemicals has recently registered under UK REACH to manufacture sodium formate, so you can now buy high quality sodium formate in the quantities you need by contacting us directly. 

As expert UK sodium formate suppliers, this article explains what sodium formate is, what it’s used for and how we manufacture sodium formate.

In this post:

What is Sodium Formate?

Sodium formate is classified as the sodium salt of formic acid because of its chemical formula. However, it’s not mass-produced from formic acid; it’s actually the other way around. Nonetheless, it can be produced in several ways, such as the neutralisation of formic acid with sodium hydroxide.

What is Sodium Formate Used For?

Sodium formate is produced on a large scale because it has several industrial and commercial applications. The salt is used in the production of other chemicals, such as sodium hydrosulphate and formic acid. Sodium formate is also commercially important in tanning leather, large-scale printing, preserving food, and manufacturing detergents.

Here’s an overview of its various uses:

• Dyeing fabrics: The salt acts as a fixing agent for dyes, especially when dying polyesters and cotton blend fabrics.
• Printing processes: It serves a similar role as a fixing agent in printing processes. With the help of this salt, inks used in printing adhere better to various media, including fabrics.
• Cryoprotectant: Here, it’s used to protect biological samples during X-ray diffraction experiments on protein crystals. These experiments are done at very low temperatures, usually 100 K (-173.15°C).
• Buffering agent: This salt acts as a buffer when combined with formic acid in a solution.
• Food additive: It’s mainly used as an additive to animal feeds to help extend the shelf life of the products. Its food additive number is E237.
• De-icing agent: Sodium formate is used on airport runways and on roads to prevent the formation of slippery ice, thereby ensuring safety. The salt has a high freezing point depression, which prevents water from forming ice below its freezing point, even below −15 °C.
• Manufacturing other chemicals: This salt is an important precursor and ingredient in the industrial-scale production of various chemicals, including formic acid.

What is the Structure of Sodium Formate?

Sodium formate has the chemical formula HCOONa. It is a salt, which means it’s crystalline in terms of its molecular lattice configuration. As a solid, it exists as a colourless powder at room temperature.

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In terms of its individual molecular structure, it has ionic bonds between a sodium and formate group. The sodium side is positively charged while the formate side is negatively charged. It also has a monoclinic-holohedral symmetry.

Monoclinic means that it has three unequal axes. Two of these axes are inclined to one another while the third one is perpendicular. Holohedral means all the planes are necessary for the symmetry of the crystal system.

Properties of Sodium Formate

Acidic or basic?

Both the physical and chemical properties of sodium formate are determined by its composition and molecular structure. Although sodium formate is a salt that can be produced through neutralisation reactions, it’s basic in aqueous solutions.

In the laboratory, sodium formate can be derived from the neutralisation reaction between formic acid and sodium hydroxide.

It’s a basic salt because it contains a weak base, which is the formate group. Meanwhile the sodium forms a spectator ion when dissolved in water.

Physical properties

This solid colourless powder has a density of 1.92 g/cm3 at 20°C. It has a high melting point of 253°C. When it boils, it starts to chemically decompose. It’s soluble in water, glycerol, alcohol, and formic acid, but insoluble in ether.

What Happens When Sodium Formate is Heated?

When sodium formate reaches its boiling point, it decomposes. This involves it splitting into sodium oxalate and hydrogen. By subjecting the sodium oxalate to higher temperatures, it can further be reduced to sodium carbonate as carbon dioxide is released.

Potential Hazards of Sodium Formate

Sodium formate is hazardous to biological tissues because of its basic properties. It can irritate the skin, which may cause itching and redness. It can also irritate the mucous membranes of the respiratory tract and lungs when inhaled. It may cause nausea and vomiting when ingested.

Upon exposure to this chemical, you should apply the following first aids:

• When inhaled: You should move the person to a place with good ventilation. Provide artificial respiration either by breathing into the mouth, using a resuscitator, or using an oxygen tank with breather if the victim is not breathing.
• When ingested: You should induce vomiting but you should follow the correct procedure or be guided by a qualified medical emergency personnel via while waiting for the ambulance. Do not give any drinks or food to the victim if the victim is unconscious as this may cause choking.
• When in contact with the skin: Thoroughly wash the affected area with water for at least 15 minutes. Remove the contaminated clothing.
• When in contact with the eyes: Flush the eyes with water while lifting the eyelids. Do this for at least 15 minutes.

In any of these situations, it is best to seek medical attention before and after performing first aid.

How to Prepare Sodium Formate

In terms of the mass production of this salt, formic acid is not commonly used. Commercially, sodium formate is produced by forcing carbon monoxide to react with sodium hydroxide by applying a pressure of between 600 kPa and 800 kPa at 130°C. For comparison purposes, the normal average pressure of the atmosphere at sea level is around 101 kPa.

The balanced chemical equation for the commercial production of sodium formate can be written as follows:

CO + NaOH → HCO2Na

In a laboratory or small-scale setting, the salt can also be derived from the reaction between chloroform and sodium hydroxide solution in alcohol:

CHCl3 + 4NaOH → HCOONa + 3NaCl + 2H2O

Buy Sodium Formate from UK Sodium Formate Manufacturers

At ReAgent, we have recently registered as the UK’s sole sodium formate manufacturers under UK REACH (Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation & restriction of Chemicals). 

We manufacture and supply sodium formate using the formic acid and sodium hydroxide method described above, with pharmaceutical-grade chemicals. With high quality processes and large-scale sodium formate manufacturing capabilities, we can supply the chemical in the quantity you need.

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