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Sodium bisulfite

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Sodium bisulfite 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 bisulfite (Wikipedia)
Not to be confused with Sodium bisulfate.

Sodium bisulfite (or sodium bisulphite, sodium hydrogen sulfite) is a chemical mixture with the approximate chemical formula NaHSO3. Sodium bisulfite is not a real compound, but a mixture of salts that dissolve in water to give solutions composed of sodium and bisulfite ions. It appears in form of white or yellowish-white crystals with an odor of sulfur dioxide. Regardless of its ill-defined nature, sodium bisulfite is used in many different industries such as a food additive with E number E222 in the food industry, a reducing agent in the cosmetic industry, and a decomposer of residual hypochlorite used in the bleaching industry.

Sodium bisulfite
Ball-and-stick model of a bisulfite anion (left) and a sodium cation (right)
Ball-and-stick model of a bisulfite anion (left) and a sodium cation (right)
Names
IUPAC name
Sodium hydrogen sulfite
Other names
  • E222
  • sodium bisulphite
Identifiers
3D model (JSmol)
ChEBI
ChEMBL
ChemSpider
ECHA InfoCard 100.028.680 Edit this at Wikidata
E number E222 (preservatives)
RTECS number
  • VZ2000000
UNII
  • InChI=1S/Na.H2O3S/c;1-4(2)3/h;(H2,1,2,3)/q+1;/p-1 checkY
    Key: DWAQJAXMDSEUJJ-UHFFFAOYSA-M checkY
  • InChI=1/Na.H2O3S/c;1-4(2)3/h;(H2,1,2,3)/q+1;/p-1
    Key: DWAQJAXMDSEUJJ-REWHXWOFAL
  • [Na+].[O-]S(=O)O
Properties
NaHSO3
Molar mass 104.061 g/mol
Appearance White solid
Odor Slight sulfurous odor
Density 1.48 g/cm3
Melting point 150 °C (302 °F; 423 K)
Boiling point 315 °C (599 °F; 588 K)
42 g/100 mL
1.526
Hazards
GHS labelling:
GHS07: Exclamation mark
H302
P301+P312+P330
NFPA 704 (fire diamond)
NFPA 704 four-colored diamondHealth 2: Intense or continued but not chronic exposure could cause temporary incapacitation or possible residual injury. E.g. chloroformFlammability 0: Will not burn. E.g. waterInstability 1: Normally stable, but can become unstable at elevated temperatures and pressures. E.g. calciumSpecial hazards (white): no code
2
0
1
Flash point Non-flammable
NIOSH (US health exposure limits):
PEL (Permissible)
 none
REL (Recommended)
 TWA 5 mg/m3
IDLH (Immediate danger)
 N.D.
Related compounds
Other anions
 Sodium sulfite
Sodium metabisulfite
Sodium biselenite
Other cations
 Potassium bisulfite
Except where otherwise noted, data are given for materials in their standard state (at 25 °C [77 °F], 100 kPa).
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