Characteristic

 

Sodium acetate, CH₃COONa, also abbreviated NaOAc, is the sodium salt of acetic acid. This colorless deliquescent salt has a wide range of uses.

Chemical formula:NaOOCCH₃•3H₂O

Molar mass: 136.08 g/mol

Appearance: White deliquescent powder

Odor: Vinegar (acetic acid) odor when heated to decomposition

Density: 1.528 g/cm³ (20 °C, anhydrous);1.45 g/cm³ (20 °C, trihydrate)

Melting point: 324 °C (615 °F; 597 K)(anhydrous);58 °C (136 °F; 331 K)(trihydrate)

Boiling point: 881.4 °C (1,618.5 °F; 1,154.5 K)(anhydrous);122 °C (252 °F; 395 K)(trihydrate) decomposes

Solubility in water:Anhydrous:119 g/100 mL (0 °C);123.3 g/100 mL (20 °C);125.5 g/100 mL (30 °C);137.2 g/100 mL (60 °C);162.9 g/100 mL (100 °C)；Trihydrate:32.9 g/100 mL (-10 °C);36.2 g/100 mL (0 °C);46.4 g/100 mL (20 °C);82 g/100 mL (50 °C)

Solubility:Soluble in alcohol, hydrazine, SO₂

Solubility in methanol:16 g/100 g (15 °C);16.55 g/100 g (67.7 °C)

Solubility in ethanol:Trihydrate:5.3 g/100 mL

Solubility in acetone:0.5 g/kg (15 °C)

Acidity (pKa):24 (20 °C) 4.75 CH3COOH

Basicity (pKb):9.25

Magnetic susceptibility (χ):−37.6·10⁻⁶ cm³/mol

Refractive index (nD):1.464

Crystal structure:Monoclinic

 

Application

 

In photography, analytical laboratory as buffer and in pharmaceutical.Sodium acetate trihydrate is used in various applications. It is used as a buffer of a pH range in between to 4.0 to 6.0. It is also used in the purification and precipitation of nucleic acids and in protein crystallization. It is used as a mordant dyeing, as a pickling agent in chrome tanning, as a neutralizer in waste streams containing sulfuric acid, in the textile industry and as a photoresist while using aniline dyes. It plays an important role to retard vulcanization of chloroprene in synthetic rubber production. It is a precursor to prepare ester from alkyl halide.