The Many Uses of Baking Soda

Sodium bicarbonate is a ubiquitous part of every food and beverage industry’s supply closet, but this versatile chemical from your industrial ingredient supplier Bell Chem has uses across industries. Known commonly as baking soda and chemically as NaHCO3, baking soda enables uses for stabilization of pH and neutralization of acids, and other aspects of its chemical makeup give it qualities that render it popular in factories and companies worldwide. 

While many products boast the ability to mask odors with a flowery or less pungent odor, baking soda chemically neutralizes odors. For this reason you will find baking soda in kitty litter, bath salts, body powders, and deodorants. Many basic chemicals are neutralized when an acid is present, creating a more stable pH while compromising the base. In contrast, baking soda retains its pH of 8.1 as it raises the pH levels of acids within a solution. 

Pharmaceutical products find uses for baking soda as an ingredient and curative. Combining baking soda’s easily compressible nature — it tabletizes into recognizable round discs — with its ability to neutralize acids, baking soda is a primary ingredient in chewable antacids. 

Another nifty effect of using baking soda is the saponification of grease and fat into a by-product easily dissolved in water. Many cleaning products and grease eradicators list baking soda as an ingredient. As we know, baking soda and kitchens are inseparable. Refrigerators rely on an open box to absorb odors, and chefs use baking soda as a leavening agent for baked goods in everything from apple loaves to ziti. Add a simple acid such as lemon juice to baking soda along with other ingredients and the result is a carbon dioxide-infused food that will release CO2 as it bakes, creating a light, airy bakery item.

This release of carbon dioxide does more than make bread rise, though. The use of baking soda in fire extinguishers is well studied. Because CO2 is released from baking soda, it chemically impedes the existence of oxygen in an area. Without oxygen, fires are quickly smothered. This same release of carbon dioxide is used in the manufacture of rubbers and plastics, since it is ideal at the moment plastic and rubber are molded.

The slightly abrasive crystalline structure of baking soda is often added to cleaners for soft or sensitive industrial surfaces. This same quality in facial cleansers and toothpaste aid in removing grease, dirt, and plaque easily and painlessly. Baking soda added to a high-pressure hose cleans buildings, removes debris, and can strip coatings from most surfaces. Textiles such as wool, silk, and leather use baking soda as a pH balancer and catalyst for chemical reactions. While many of the reactions would occur naturally for these textiles, baking soda expedites the process.

Learn more about our chemicals by reading our blogs. Bell Chem is your industrial ingredient supplier based in Longwood, FL (just north of Orlando) with hundreds of products stocked in their 50,000+ square-foot warehouse, including baking soda. You can expect the highest quality products, expedited shipping options for maximum efficiency, and unrivaled personalized customer service. Let our knowledgeable and friendly customer service representatives and accounting staff personalize all your needs by either calling 407-339-BELL (2355) or by sending us an online message.