Sodium acetate, also known as sodium ethanoate, is used in a number of industries:
The last usage is seen in consumer heating pads. The contents (sodium acetate and water) are solid at normal temperature, but are heated in boiling water to melt the contents; after cooling, the clicking of a disk within the pad triggers the supercooled liquid to freeze and crystallise. The release of energy returns the pad to its freezing point of 54°C until it has fully solidified. The process is theoretically repeatable indefinitely, although the containing pouch will eventually break in practice.
Reactions
sodium acetate might be used as a reagent to perform the esterification with ethanol
H3C-COO- Na+ + HO-CH2-CH3 + H+ ----> H3C-COO-CH2-CH3 + H-0-H
Hence, the reaction runs with sodium acetate in excess, and because sodium acetate binds 3 water molecules, this reaction, I read only once might be possible to be performed.
Synthesis of Sodium Acetate
Sodium acetate can be obtained easily by the reaction with of acetic acid with sodium hydrogen carbonate
H3C-COOH + Na+[HCO3]- -----> H3C-COO- Na+ + H2CO3
The resulting carbonic acid hydrolyses quickly so the equilibrum is pushed to the right
Last updated: 05-27-2005 03:06:41
