Sodium Percarbonate: Application, Production, Structure & Properties

Sodium percarbonate is a white, crystalline, hygroscopic, and water-soluble solid having a common abbreviation SPC. It has a hydrogen peroxide content of 32.5 percent by weight. The chemical compound sodium percarbonate (C₂H₆Na₄O₁₂) is used as a substitute for hydrogen peroxide. Sodium percarbonate is made by gently dissolving sodium peroxide in ice-cold pure alcohol. It's a mixture of sodium carbonate ("soda ash" or "washing soda") and hydrogen peroxide (a perhydrate), with the formula 2Na₂CO₃.

Read More: Difference between Elements and Compounds

Key Terms: Sodium Percarbonate, Sodium Percarbonate Structure, Sodium Carbonate, Hydrogen Peroxide, Sodium Peroxide, Alcohol

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Sodium Percarbonate Structure

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Solid sodium percarbonate has an orthorhombic crystal structure with the Cmca crystallographic space group at room temperature. When the crystals are cooled below roughly 30 °C, the structure changes to Pbca.

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Sodium Percarbonate Properties

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The characteristics of Sodium Percarbonate are divided into two groups. These are the following:

1. Physical Properties
2. Chemical Properties

The following will be explained one by one:

Sodium Percarbonate Physical Characteristics

Sodium percarbonate has the following physical properties:

• They come in the form of an odourless powder.
• Appearance: white solid.
• In water, they are quite soluble.
• Ingestion is toxic.
• Other chemicals are made with them.
• Because of contact, they have proven to be harmful to the eyes, skin, and mucous membranes.

Sodium Percarbonate Chemical Properties

Sodium percarbonate forms sodium persulfate, sodium carbonate, and water when it interacts with sodium bisulfate. With the help of the following equation, this can be stated more clearly:

C₂H₆Na₄O₁₂ + 6NaHSO₄ → 3Na₂S₂O₈ + 2Na₂CO₃ + 6H₂O

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Sodium Percarbonate Production

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Industrially, sodium percarbonate is made by crystallising a solution of sodium carbonate and hydrogen peroxide under strict pH and concentration control. This is a practical laboratory procedure as well.

Dry sodium carbonate can also be immediately treated with a concentrated hydrogen peroxide solution.

It can also be made via a technique that starts with sodium peroxide: pure ethyl alcohol combines with sodium peroxide at 0 °C to yield perhydroxide.

It is converted to sodium hydrogen percarbonate by the presence of carbon dioxide.

For 2004, the global manufacturing capacity of this chemical was predicted to be in the hundreds of thousands of tonnes.

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Sodium Percarbonate's Applications

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Given below are the applications of sodium percarbonate:

• SPC can be used to improve water quality by adding oxygen and removing microorganisms in an indirect manner. When SPC reacts with organic materials, it cleanses the bottom of concrete raceways in hatcheries and cleans up the sediment in earthen ponds as a side effect.
• Because sodium percarbonate is antiseptic, it can be used as a sterile for wounds instead of hydrogen peroxide in an aqueous solution. It can be used as a deodorant as well.
• It has a good effect on bicarbonate hydrogen peroxide, which aids in the cleaning and treatment of the mouth.
• It can be used as an alkaline therapy alternative. Chalk, rutile, holmites, and natural silicates are among the minerals that can be bleached by H₂O₂.
• The detergent sector uses the majority of sodium percarbonate in consumer products. Algicides, fungicides, chemical synthesis, and environmental uses, such as odour control at sewage treatment plants, are among the other applications. In dental replacement cleaners and toothpaste, a small amount is used. 

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Sodium Percarbonate's Health Effects

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Sodium percarbonate, which is widely contained in customer items, may provide a risk of skin or inhalation-related negative effects. The following are some of the negative health impacts that sodium percarbonate can cause:

• Inhaling sodium percarbonate can irritate the nose and throat. It can also cause coughing. Sore throats and nosebleeds can result from repeated exposure to such substances.
• Ingestion of sodium percarbonate may result in swelling, burping, mouth and throat irritation, vomiting, abdominal pain, diarrhoea, and nausea.
• Skin contact can result in a variety of symptoms ranging from slight irritation to redness and oedema. Treatment is delayed even after exposure to concentrated sodium percarbonate solutions, which might result in burns. Furthermore, contact with sodium percarbonate can cause severe eye irritation, damage, and even blindness.
• Other Side Effects - Sodium percarbonate has not been classified as a cancer-causing substance by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) (a carcinogen).

Also Read: Properties of Bases

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Sodium Percarbonate's Exposure Potential

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Sodium percarbonate spills must be contained and kept away from waterways, sewer channels, and any flammable or combustible items. Small spills should be cleaned up and placed in an appropriate container. Replace any spilled or contaminated sodium percarbonate in the original container as soon as possible. Adsorbents should not be used to drench sodium percarbonate washings. Synthetic compounds that react with sodium percarbonate may be present in sponges and adsorbents. Rinse the sodium percarbonate-contaminated fabric or paper towels with water until the sodium percarbonate is gone. When the moist cloth/paper dries, the inability to do so may result in a fire.

A sodium percarbonate manufacturing facility, as well as manufacturing, packaging, or storage facility that handles percarbonate, might cause exposure. Exposure is also possible in the event of a transportation mishap. People who work in the maintenance, inspection, and testing of sodium percarbonate containers, or who load and unload sodium percarbonate containers, are at a higher risk of exposure. People involved in higher-hazard activities should always wear suitable personal protective equipment, such as completely protective gloves, goggles, and a hard hat, to reduce the risk of exposure. Appropriate respiratory protection equipment should be worn at times where the potential for cleaning is significant.

Read More:- Properties of Matter

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Things to Remember

• Nasal and throat irritation can result from inhaling sodium percarbonate. Coughing is another symptom. Excessive exposure to such compounds might cause sore throats and nosebleeds.
• Because sodium percarbonate is antiseptic, it can replace hydrogen peroxide in an aqueous solution as a sterile for wounds. It's also a good deodorant.
• SPC can help to improve water quality by indirectly supplying oxygen and eliminating bacteria. SPC cleans the bottom of concrete raceways in hatcheries and the sediment in earthen ponds as a byproduct of its reaction with organic contaminants.