Citric acid is an organic compound with the chemical formula HOC(CH₂CO₂H)₂. It is a colorless weak organic acid. It occurs naturally in citrus fruits. In biochemistry, it is an intermediate in the citric acid cycle, which occurs in the metabolism of all aerobic organisms.
Trisodium phosphate is also known as trisodium orthophosphate, sodium phosphate, or TSP. It is a chemical, a water-soluble ionic, that acts as a cleaning agent, food additive, and degreaser. TSP is a white, granular, or crystalline solid that produces an alkaline solution when mixed with water. It is often sold partially hydrated and is used commonly as an acid reducer in a variety of foods. It is also used to help blend fats with other ingredients, providing an improved texture. TSP is found in butter, cereals, meat products, processed cheeses, and canned soups. It acts as a leavening agent in commercial cakes and baked goods.
Sodium citrates are used as acidity regulators in food and drinks, and also as emulsifiers for oils. They enable cheeses to melt without becoming greasy. It reduces the acidity of food as well. Sodium citrate is used to prevent donated blood from clotting in storage. It is also used in a laboratory, before an operation, to determine whether a person’s blood is too thick and might cause a blood clot, or if the blood is too thin to safely operate. Sodium citrate is used in medical contexts as an alkalinizing agent in place of sodium bicarbonate,[1] to neutralize excess acid in the blood and urine.[2] It has applications for the treatment of metabolic acidosis[3] and chronic kidney disease.
About 80% of the ammonia produced by industry is used in agriculture as fertilizer. Ammonia is also used as a refrigerant gas, for the purification of water supplies, and in the manufacture of plastics, explosives, textiles, pesticides, dyes, and other chemicals.
Sodium sulfite is the inorganic compound with the chemical formula Na₂SO₃. A white, water-soluble solid, it is used commercially as an antioxidant and preservative.
Sodium bisulfite (or sodium bisulfite, sodium hydrogen sulfite) is a chemical mixture with the approximate chemical formula NaHSO3. Sodium bisulfite in fact is not a real compound, but a mixture of salts that dissolve in water to give solutions composed of sodium and bisulfite ions. It is a white solid with an odor of sulfur dioxide. Regardless of its ill-defined nature, “sodium bisulfite” is a food additive with E number E222.
Silica gel is an amorphous and porous form of silicon dioxide (silica), consisting of an irregular tridimensional framework of alternating silicon and oxygen atoms with nanometer-scale voids and pores. The voids may contain water or some other liquids, or may be filled by gas or vacuum. In the last case, the material is properly called silica xerogel.
Silica xerogel with an average pore size of 2.4 nanometers has a strong affinity for water molecules and is widely used as a desiccant. It is hard and translucent, but considerably softer than massive silica glass or quartz; and remains hard when saturated with water.
Silica xerogel is usually commercialized as coarse granules or beads, a few millimeters in diameter. Some grains may contain small amounts of indicator substance that changes color when they have absorbed some water. Small paper envelopes containing silica xerogel pellets, usually with a “do not eat” warning, are often included in dry food packages to absorb any humidity that might cause spoilageof the food.
‘Wet’ silica gel, as may be freshly prepared from alkali silicate solutions, may vary in consistency from a soft transparent gel, similar to gelatin or agar, to a hard solid, namely a water-logged xerogel. It is sometimes used in laboratory processes, for example to suppress convection in liquids or prevent settling of suspended particles.
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