Trisodium Phosphate
Trisodium Phosphate
WHAT IS TRI-SODIUM PHOSPHATE
Tri-sodium phosphate (TSP) is an inorganic compound that tends to pick up moisture from the air and form a hard cake. It has its other names as Sodium orthophosphate, Phospho soda. This Tri-sodium salt and is a white, granular solid. It is highly soluble in water, producing an alkaline solution. It is a water-absorber, rapidly absorbs water if placed in a moist atmosphere. When it is decomposed at a high temperature of 75°C, it emits toxic fumes of Phosphoxide and Sodium oxide.
In wet conditions, Tri-sodium phosphate corrodes metals like mild steel, zinc, aluminum, and brass. Its appearance is trigonal crystalline structure. It reacts by heateing above about 84°C with aqueous solutions of reducing sugars to evolve toxic carbon monoxide levels. It is stored in a cool and ventilated place. Its shelf-life is 24 months. Trisodium Phosphate in anhydrous forms offers high concentration and low bulk.
SNDB’s Tri-sodium Phosphate has some applications given below;
- It serves as a cleaning agent, builder, and grease emulsifier.
- It is used in human drugs as the US FDA has approved it.
- It is used as buffering and chelating agent.
- It functions as a stain remover, lubricant, and building construction material.
- It is used after glaucoma surgery or after cataract surgery.
- It is utilized as a mild laxative, stimulates emptying of the gallbladder.
- It works in the form of the oral solution as an antihypercal- cemic.
- It serves to control the pH of water hardness precipitation.
- It is utilized as a control agent in mildly acidic solutions.
- It is an approved flux for use in hard soldering joints in medical grade copper plumbing mostly in the United States.
- It is the active ingredient in some toilet bowl cleaning tablets.
It is a non-combustible compound having basic properties. It is an odorless salt that is insoluble in ethanol. When phosphoric acid is neutralized with sodium carbonate, disodium hydrogen phosphate is produced. It is then treated with sodium hydroxide to prepare Tri-sodium phosphate.