Sodium benzoate is a widely used ingredient in cosmetics, personal care, and skincare formulations. Depending on its function, it may serve as a moisturizer, preservative, emulsifier, or active ingredient to enhance the overall effectiveness and performance of a product.
Sodium benzoate also known as benzoate of soda is the sodium salt of benzoic acid, widely used as a food preservative (with an E number of E211) and a pickling agent. It appears as a white crystalline chemical with the formula C6H5COONa.
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![]() Ball-and-stick model of part of the crystal structure
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![]() Ball-and-stick model of packing in the crystal structure
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Names | |
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Preferred IUPAC name
Sodium benzoate | |
Other names
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Identifiers | |
3D model (JSmol)
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ChEBI | |
ChEMBL | |
ChemSpider | |
ECHA InfoCard | 100.007.760 |
E number | E211 (preservatives) |
PubChem CID
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RTECS number |
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UNII | |
CompTox Dashboard (EPA)
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Properties | |
C7H5NaO2 | |
Molar mass | 144.105 g·mol−1 |
Appearance | white or colourless crystalline powder |
Odor | odorless |
Density | 1.497 g/cm3 |
Melting point | 410 °C (770 °F; 683 K) |
62.65 g/100 mL (0 °C) 62.84 g/100 mL (15 °C) 62.87 g/100 mL (30 °C) 74.2 g/100 mL (100 °C) | |
Solubility | soluble in liquid ammonia, pyridine |
Solubility in methanol | 8.22 g/100 g (15 °C) 7.55 g/100 g (66.2 °C) |
Solubility in ethanol | 2.3 g/100 g (25 °C) 8.3 g/100 g (78 °C) |
Solubility in 1,4-Dioxane | 0.818 mg/kg (25 °C) |
Pharmacology | |
A16AX11 (WHO) | |
Hazards | |
GHS labelling: | |
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Warning | |
H319 | |
P305+P351+P338 | |
NFPA 704 (fire diamond) | |
Flash point | 100 °C (212 °F; 373 K) |
500 °C (932 °F; 773 K) | |
Lethal dose or concentration (LD, LC): | |
LD50 (median dose)
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4100 mg/kg (oral, rat) |
Except where otherwise noted, data are given for materials in their standard state (at 25 °C [77 °F], 100 kPa).
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