Sodium citrate

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Sodium citrate
Sodium citrate
General
Systematic name trisodium 2-hydroxypropane-1,2,3-tricarboxylate
Other names citrosodine; trisodium citrate; citric acid, trisodium salt
Molecular formula Na3C6H5O7
SMILES [Na+].[Na+].[Na+]. O=C([O-])CC(O)(CC(=O)[O-])C([O-])=O
Molar mass 258.07 g/mol
Appearance White crystalline powder
CAS number [68-04-2] (anhydrous); [6132-04-3] (dihydrate)
Properties
Density and phase ~ 1.7 g/cm³ solid
Solubility in water 72 g/100 ml
Melting point 150 °C
Boiling point Decomposes
Acidity (pKa)  ?
Basicity (pKb)  ?
Structure
Crystal structure  ?
Dipole moment  ? D
Hazards
MSDS External MSDS
Main hazards Irritant
NFPA 704

0
1
0
 
Flash point  ?°C
R/S statement R: ?
S: ?
RTECS number  ?
Supplementary data page
Structure and
properties
n, εr, etc.
Thermodynamic
data
Phase behaviour
Solid, liquid, gas
Spectral data UV, IR, NMR, MS
Related compounds
Related compounds calcium citrate, citric acid
Except where noted otherwise, data are given for
materials in their standard state (at 25 °C, 100 kPa)
Infobox disclaimer and references

Sodium citrate is the sodium salt of citric acid with the chemical formula of Na3C6H5O7. Sodium citrate possesses a saline, mildly tart, flavor. For this reason, citrates of certain Alkaline and Alkaline Earth metals (e.g. sodium and calcium citrates) are commonly known as sour salt (occasionally citric acid is erroneously termed sour salt). Sodium citrate is chiefly used as a food additive, usually for flavor or as a preservative. Sodium citrate is employed as a flavoring agent in certain varieties of club soda. Sodium citrate is common in lemon-lime soft drinks, and it is partly what causes them to have their sour taste.

In 1914, the Belgian doctor Albert Hustin and the Argentine physician and researcher Luis Agote successfully used sodium citrate as an anticoagulant in blood transfusions. It continues to be used today in blood collection tubes and for the preservation of blood in blood banks. The citrate ion chelates calcium ions in the blood, disrupting the blood clotting mechanism.

As a conjugate base of a weak acid, citrate can perform as a buffering agent, resisting changes in pH. Sodium citrate is used to control acidity in some substances, such as gelatin desserts. It can be found in the mini milk containers used with coffee machines. The compound is the product of antacids such as Alka-Seltzer when they are dissolved in water.

Research from the British Journal of Sports Medicine (2003) showed that use of sodium citrate (approx. 37 grams) improved running performance over 5 km by 30 seconds. [1]

Sodium citrate is used to relieve discomfort in urinary tract infections such as cystitis, to reduce the acidosis seen in distal renal tubular acidosis, and can also be used as an osmotic laxative.

  1. ^ Oopik, V et al 2003; 37: 485-489



Advanced Search
Included Web Search Engines


Safe Search

close

Top Matching Results

Occasionally Search.com will highlight specialized results that are based on the context of your query. Examples of specialized results include specific links to news, images, or video.

Top Matching Results may highlight information from other Search.com pages, content from the CNET Network of sites, or third party content. The listings are based purely on relevance. Search.com does not receive payment for listings in this section but our partners that provide this data may get paid for listing these products.

Sponsored Links

This section contains paid listings which have been purchased by companies that want to have their sites appear for specific search terms and related content. These listings are administered, sorted and maintained by a third party and are not endorsed by Search.com.

Search Results

Search.com sends your search query to several search engines at one time and integrates the results into one list which has been sorted by relevance using Search.com's proprietary algorithm. You can customize the list of search engines included in your metasearch from the preferences.

The search engines that are used in your metasearch may allow companies to pay to have their Web sites included within the results. To view the Paid Inclusion policy for a specific search engine, please visit their Web site. Search.com does not accept payment or share revenue with any search engine partner for listings in this section.