Sodium Glukonate

The taste enhancer, known as E-576 as a food additive, is widely used in the food industry. Here, sodium gluconate is used as a taste enhancer, whose action is based on increasing the sensitivity of the receptors of the tongue when eating. In accordance with the current SanPiN, the substance is recognized as safe for human health and is approved for use. It has excellent hygroscopicity. In a hundred milliliters of water at a temperature of 20 ° C, 60 grams of sodium gluconate are completely dissolved.

Harm from the intake of food additive E-576 is that at high doses of its use can manifest so-called "Chinese restaurant syndrome". It includes a combination of symptoms, including headache, a feeling of heaviness, increased sweating and redness of the face. Less common are inflammatory processes in the throat, pain in the thoracic region, shortness of breath and increased heart rate.

In addition to the specified name of the substance, industrial samples under the names sodium gluconate, sodium D-gluconate, sodium salt of D-gluconic acid are also used. As a component, sodium gluconate is indispensable in alkaline compounds.

The main natural source for obtaining this substance is gluconic acid. When it interacts with alkalis, sodium gluconate is formed, the production of which in this way is accompanied by the release of impurities in the form of various carbonates.

Sodium D-gluconate, like its source - gluconic acid - is used to produce alkaline detergents as agents for the formation of metal cations. The point is that such use of a substance is very effective, compared to other complexing agents due to synergistic properties.

Sodium gluconate, thanks to such properties as hydrolysis resistance and biodegradability, acts as an active component of various formulations of glass detergents, for example, in those industries where washing bottles is carried out. Compositions containing sodium gluconate as an active substance are effective in ultrafiltration of milk molecules and whey accumulated on a container intended for storage and transportation of dairy products.

In the production of beer , the process of growth of microorganisms often takes place, which negatively affects the taste of the product. To prevent this phenomenon, the usual washing of vessels with a solution of sodium gluconate is used, and the accumulation of calcium on the walls of the vessels will be reduced or not at all. Washing surfaces of various units and devices requires detergents with a high concentration. It is these solutions that can eliminate various organic as well as mineral deposits.

Another common direction of using the compound is the production of building materials, namely concrete of different grades. Here, sodium gluconate, which is part of concrete as a special additive, provides it with increased ductility, reduces hygroscopicity and facilitates the technology of laying concrete at low temperatures. These same properties make sodium gluconate a popular additive in the oil industry when cementing wells. This makes it possible to protect the well from ground vibrations and corrosion. With such technologies, the compound in question is already being introduced directly into the cement, in order to increase the penetrating effect.

As an element that effectively binds metal ions, sodium gluconate is used in the metallurgical industry, in the production of various metal alloys. Its most effective in the production of aluminum.