Ingredients --
Sodium carbonate
Chemical Formula: Na2CO3
Synonyms
Soda
Soda ash
Washing soda
Description
White hygroscopic powder or crystals.
Uses
Sodium carbonate is used in detergent formulas as a water softener,
to lock up calcium and magnesium from the water. Calcium and
magnesium would otherwise combine with the soap or detergents
and form an insoluble scum that would stick to the clothes and
the washing machine.
Compounds with similar functions are
pentasodium pentetate,
sodium edta,
sodium citrate,
phosphoric acid,
Tetrasodium etidronate,
and
Tetrasodium pyrophosphate.
sodium carbonate:
InChI=1/CH2O3.Na/c2-1(3)4;/h(H2,2,3,4);/q;+1/p-2/fCO3.Na/q-2;m
edta:
InChI=1/C10H16N2O8/c13-7(14)3-11(4-8(15)16)1-2-12(5-9(17)18)6-10(19)20/h1-6H2,(H,13,14)(H,15,16)(H,17,18)(H,19,20)/f/h13,15,17,19H
sodium citrate:
InChI=1/C6H8O7.2Na/c7-3(8)1-6(13,5(11)12)2-4(9)10;;/h13H,1-2H2,(H,7,8)(H,9,10)(H,11,12);;/q;2*+1/p-2/fC6H6O7.2Na/h11H;;/q-2;2m
tetrasodium edta:
InChI=1/C10H16N2O8.4Na/c13-7(14)3-11(4-8(15)16)1-2-12(5-9(17)18)6-10(19)20;;;;/h1-6H2,(H,13,14)(H,15,16)(H,17,18)(H,19,20);;;;/q;4*+1/p-4/fC10H12N2O8.4Na/q-4;4m
phosphoric acid:
InChI=1/H3O4P/c1-5(2,3)4/h(H3,1,2,3,4)/f/h1-3H
pentasodium pentetate:
InChI=1/C14H23N3O10.5Na/c18-10(19)5-15(1-3-16(6-11(20)21)7-12(22)23)2-4-17(8-13(24)25)9-14(26)27;;;;;/h1-9H2,(H,18,19)(H,20,21)(H,22,23)(H,24,25)(H,26,27);;;;;/q;5*+1/p-5/fC14H18N3O10.5Na/q-5;5m
By Simon Quellen Field