Sodium Sesquicarbonate Na2CO3.NaHCO3.2H2O
Sodium Sesquicarbonate is a mixed crystal of Sodium Carbonate and Sodium Bicarbonate, hydrated with water.
The Sodium Bicarbonate presence in the crystal moderates the pH to approximately 9.9 in a 10% solution, so is ideal for formulations where irritancy is to be avoided and extra buffering is required. The importance of this will magnify with the implementation of the CLP regulations. The water bound up in the crystal means that the product is cold water soluble unlike Sodium Carbonate which cakes with cold water.
Replacing Sodium Carbonate with Sodium Sesquicarbonate into Oxi stain removers reduces customer complaints due to the ready solubility in cold water.
Laundry Powder and Laundry Stain Removers ingredient
Ideal for formulating into laundry powders for low temperature use and cold water fill machines.
Case study:
When Bambino Mio, the reusable nappy company, wanted to include a nappy sanitizer and a specialist laundry powder in their range they turned to Sodium Sesquicarbonate as the builder in the formulation. Lesley Short, Product Development Manager for Bambino, comments:
"We had very strict criteria for performance, we needed to avoid phosphate and zeolites but ensure that the water in the wash was conditioned to the optimum for the detergents to work effectively. We also needed stability with Sodium Percarbonate and fast dissolution for cold water washing. Of the formulations we tested, the Sodium Sesquicarbonate based formulae proved to be optimum."
Hard surface cleaner
An ideal alternative ingredient to phosphates, as the builder in powder hard surface cleaners. The pH allows gentle grease removal especially when aided with surfactants.
Bath Salts
Sodium Sesquicarbonate is included on the INCI list of cosmetic ingredients and is the industry standard builder for traditional bath salt formulations, treating hard water for a relaxing bathe.
The product can also be incorporated into bath bombs and bath cubes.
Downloads: Material Safety Data Sheet | Sales Specification Sheet