SODIUM METABISULFITE

ALTERNATIVE NAMES

• Sodium metabisulfite  other name is sodium pyro sulfite.

GRADES

• F-C-C

EFFECTS

• Eating or inhaling this compound can be dangerous

USES

It is a laboratory regent and also used to preserve food and drinks.

Food Preservation

• Wine Making: Sodium metabisulfite is widely used in winemaking to prevent oxidation and preserve the flavor and color of the wine. It serves as an antimicrobial, inhibiting the growth of unwanted bacteria and yeasts during fermentation.
• Fruit and Vegetable Processing: It’s used to preserve the color and prevent the browning of fruits and vegetables, particularly before drying or canning. For example, it’s often used in preserving light-colored fruits like apples and peaches.
• Beer Brewing: Similar to winemaking, sodium metabisulfite is used in brewing beer to sterilize equipment and inhibit the growth of unwanted microorganisms.

2. Water Treatment

• Sodium metabisulfite is used as a chloramine remover in municipal water treatment facilities. It reacts with chloramine, neutralizing it before the water is released into rivers or seas, which helps to protect aquatic life.

3. Mining

• It’s used in the mining industry as a flotation agent in the separation of minerals. By creating a suitable chemical environment, sodium metabisulfite helps to separate valuable minerals from the ore during the flotation process.

4. Textile Industry

• Sodium metabisulfite acts as a bleaching agent in the textile industry, used to lighten or remove the color of fabrics and paper pulp without the strength loss associated with some other bleaching methods.

5. Chemical Manufacturing

• It serves as a source of sulfur dioxide, a key chemical in the production of certain chemicals, including sodium dithionite, a reducing agent used in various chemical reactions.

6. Photography and Film

• In photography, sodium metabisulfite is used as a part of developer solutions and to neutralize excess chlorine in bleach solutions during film processing.

7. Leather Treatment

• It is employed in the leather industry during the tanning process to remove excess hydrogen peroxide from hides.