The scientific name of baking soda is sodium bicarbonate, which is an inorganic salt. In daily life, baking soda can be used to clean fruits and vegetables, and can also be used for pastry. Edible alkali is a mixture of sodium carbonate and sodium bicarbonate, which is usually used as a food loosening agent. Because edible alkali can not be used in medical industry, attention should be paid to the distinction during use.
Because the alkalinity of baking soda is weak, it is most suitable to put baking soda when cleaning fruits, vegetables and other foods, because baking soda will not denature food, and it can also wash food thoroughly. Baking soda is also a necessary substance when making fluffy food such as fried dough sticks, which can make flour produce proper amount of carbon dioxide, thus making fried dough sticks and other foods more fluffy.
Application field of sodium bicarbonate
Laboratory use: Sodium bicarbonate can be used as analytical reagent and inorganic synthesis. It can be used to prepare sodium carbonate-sodium bicarbonate buffer solution. When a small amount of acid or alkali is added, the concentration of hydrogen ions does not change significantly, and the pH value of the system can be kept relatively stable.
Industrial use: Sodium bicarbonate can be used to produce acid-base fire extinguishers and foam extinguisher, and in rubber industry, sodium bicarbonate can be used to produce rubber and sponge. Sodium bicarbonate can be used as a flux for casting steel ingots in metallurgical industry. In the mechanical industry, sodium bicarbonate can be used as a molding aid for cast steel sand molds. In printing and dyeing industry, sodium bicarbonate can be used as fixing agent, acid-base buffer and post-treatment agent for fabric dyeing and finishing. Adding baking soda in dyeing can prevent the yarn tube from producing colored flowers and can also be used as a detergent for wool.
Food processing purposes: In food processing, sodium bicarbonate is the most widely used loosening agent, which is used to produce biscuits, bread, etc., but sodium carbonate will remain after the action. Too much use will make the food too alkaline, which will lead to poor flavor and yellow-brown color. It is the generator of carbon dioxide in soft drinks; It can be compounded with alum to form alkaline baking powder, and can also be compounded with soda ash to form civil caustic soda; It can also be used as a butter preservative. It can be used as color fixative for fruits and vegetables in vegetable processing.