Details:

Sodium citrate may refer to any of the sodium salts of citric acid (though most commonly the third): Monosodium citrate, Disodium citrate, Trisodium citrate.

Sodium citrate is an organic compound, appearance for white to colorless crystals. It is odourless, and has cool and refreshing salty, spicy. Stable in normal temperature and in the air. It has micro solubility in wet air, and weathering phenomenon in hot air. It loses crystal water when heated to 150 ℃. Sodium citrate is soluble in water easily, and can be soluble in glycerin but hardly soluble in alcohol and other organic solvents. Decomposites when overheating, has micro deliquescence in damp environment and micro efflorescence in the hot air. Its solution pH is about 8.

As food additives, the 3 forms of the salt are also collectively known by the E number E331 and the term sour salt is coined for this chemical, because it possesses flavours of sour and salty.

Advantages:

1)Safety performance

2)Biodegradability

3)Complexing metal ion

4)Excellent solubility property

5)good pH adjustment and buffer performance

Application:

In food industry, Sodium citrate is sometimes used as an acidity regulator in drinks, and also as an emulsifier for oils when making cheese. It allows the cheeses to melt without becoming greasy. Sodium citrate can be used as a flavouring (typically Club Soda) or as a food additive.

In medicine, the purpose of the sodium citrate is also very extensive. It can be used as an anticoagulant agent and a blood transfusion, saving and processing adjuvant therapies. As a preservative, Sodium citrate can be used to hold the syrup and other drugs.

In other respects, sodium citrate is widely used in electroplating industry because of the very good complexing performance ; In the construction industry, sodium citrate can be used as a retarder to join in the concrete, in order to improve the tensile, compressive strength and frost resistance of cement products performance; In terms of environmental protection, sodium citrate can be used to removing the sulfide in industrial tail gas. In the ceramic industry, sodium citrate can be used as additive in grinding. 

In addition, sodium citrate in the brewing industry also has a new USES and photography, thus further broadens the application field of sodium citrate.