Sodium Bicarbonate is a chemical compound, the monosodium salt of carbonic acid, and is an extremely versatile component used in numerous fields. It is also commonly referred to as Nahcolite.

The name describes the structure of the molecule:

• Sodium (Na). Sodium is an alkali metal, a highly reactive group of elements found in group 1 of the periodic table. Sodium is soft and silvery-white in colour. It is highly reactive, especially with water, and is commonly found in salts and minerals. In sodium bicarbonate it constitutes 27.37% by mass.
• Hydrogen (H). Hydrogen is the lightest and most abundant element in the universe. It is found in group 1 of the periodic table and is a component of water, organic compounds and many other types of molecules. In sodium bicarbonate, it makes up 1.20 per cent by mass.
• Carbon (C). Carbon is a non-metal that can bond to itself and many other elements, forming almost ten million known compounds. It is the key component of organic compounds, which form the basis of life. In sodium bicarbonate, it makes up 14.30 per cent by mass.
• Oxygen (O). Oxygen is a highly reactive non-metal and an oxidising agent that readily forms compounds with most elements. It is the third most abundant element in the universe. In sodium bicarbonate it makes up 57.14% by mass.

The synthesis process takes place in different steps:

• Extraction of trona ore. In the first step, trona ore, a natural form of sodium sesquicarbonate, is extracted.
• Conversion to soda ash. The trona ore is heated in a process known as calcination, which removes carbon dioxide and water. This converts trona into soda ash (sodium carbonate).
• Reaction with carbon dioxide and water. Sodium carbonate is reacted with carbon dioxide and water. This reaction produces sodium bicarbonate and water.

What it is for and where

It is used :

• to improve bread leavening
• remove dirt
• eliminate odors
• against skin and oral irritation
• against heartburn
• to melt the ice

Cosmetics

Abrasive agent. It contains abrasive particles to remove stains or biofilm that accumulate on the stratum corneum or teeth. Baking soda, kieselguhr, silica and many others have abrasive properties. Peeling or exfoliating products used in dermatology or cosmetic applications contain abrasive agents in the form of synthetic microspheres, however these microspheres or abrasive particles are not biodegradable and create pollution in aquatic ecosystems.

Buffering agent. It is an iingredient that can bring an alkaline or acid solution to a certain pH level and prevent it from changing, in practice a pH stabiliser that can effectively resist instability and pH change.

Deodorant agent. When substances that give off an unpleasant odour are included in cosmetic formulations (typical examples are methyl mercaptan and hydrogen sulphide derived from garlic), deodorants attenuate or eliminate the unpleasant exhalation.  It helps counteract the formation of bad odours on body surfaces.

Oral care agent. This ingredient can be placed in the oral cavity to improve and/or maintain oral hygiene and health, to prevent or improve a disorder of the teeth, gums, mucous membrane. It provides cosmetic effects to the oral cavity as a protector, cleanser, deodorant.

Skin protectant. It creates a protective barrier on the skin to defend it from harmful substances, irritants, allergens, pathogens that can cause various inflammatory conditions. These products can also improve the natural skin barrier and in most cases more than one is needed to achieve an effective result.

Medical

Sodium bicarbonate is used orally to treat metabolic acidosis in patients with chronic kidney disease. The study found that the use of oral sodium bicarbonate at the start of dialysis significantly reduced all-cause mortality in patients undergoing dialysis therapy. ( (Morooka H, Yamamoto J, Tanaka A, Inaguma D, Maruyama S. Relationship between mortality and use of sodium bicarbonate at the time of dialysis initiation: a prospective observational study. BMC Nephrol. 2021 Apr 6;22(1):118. doi: 10.1186/s12882-021-02330-0.)

Baking soda is used in over-the-counter medicines to alleviate dyspepsia, bloating, common symptoms after large meals However, in rare cases, it has been associated with acute gastric dilatation. (Han YJ, Roy S, Siau AMPL, Majid A. Binge-eating and sodium bicarbonate: a potent combination for gastric rupture in adults-two case reports and a review of literature. J Eat Disord. 2022 Nov 9;10(1):157. doi: 10.1186/s40337-022-00677-9.)

The most relevant studies on this chemical compound have been selected with a summary of their contents:

Sodium bicarbonate studies

• Molecular Formula:   NaHCO₃    or   CHNaO₃
• Molecular Weight: 84.006 g/mol
• CAS: 144-55-8  199723-76-7  151127-72-9  196216-68-9  246180-97-2  172672-17-2  1182403-48-0  276253-15-7
• UNII: 8MDF5V39QO
• EC Number: 205-633-8
• PubChem Substance ID 329824559
• MDL number MFCD00003528
• Beilstein Registry Number 4153970

• Baking soda
• Sodium hydrogencarbonate
• Sodium acid carbonate
• Bicarbonate of soda
• Carbonic acid monosodium salt
• Neut
• Col-evac
• Sel De vichy
• Monosodium carbonate
• Natrium bicarbonicum
• Monosodium hydrogen carbonate
• Sodium hydrocarbonate
• Natron
• Natriumhydrogenkarbonat
• sodiumbicarbonate