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Sodium nitrate

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	Sodium nitrate
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	Topics Sodium nitrate Topic Home Applications Sodium nitrate was used extensively as a fertilizer and a raw material for the manufacture of gunpowder in the late nineteenth century. Sodium nitrate has antimicrobialAntimicrobial An antimicrobial is a substance that kills or slows the growth of microbes like bacteria, fungi, viruses, or parasites.... properties when used as a food preservative. It is found naturally in leafy green vegetables. Sodium nitrate should not be confused with the related compound, sodium nitriteSodium nitrite Sodium nitrite, with chemical formula NaNO2, is used as a color fixative and preservative in meats and fish.... . The presence of sodium nitrite in food is controversial due to the development of nitrosamineNitrosamine Nitrosamines are carcinogenic chemical compounds of the chemical structure R2N-N=O.... s when the food, primarily baconBacon Bacon is any of certain cuts of meat taken from the sides, back or belly of a pig or cow, cured and possibly smoked.... , is cooked at high temperatures. Its usage is carefully regulated in the production of cured products; in the United States, the concentration in finished products is limited to 200 ppm, and is usually lower. The nitrate compound itself is not harmful, however, and is among the antioxidants found in fresh vegetables. It can be used in the production of nitric acidNitric acid The chemical compound nitric acid , otherwise known as aqua fortis or spirit of nitre, is a colorless, corrosiv... by combining it with sulfuric acidSulfuric acid Sulfuric acid , H2SO4, is a strong mineral acid.... and subsequent separation through fractional distillationFractional distillation Fractional distillation is the separation of a mixture into its component parts, or fractions, such as in separating chemica... of the nitric acid, leaving behind a residue of sodium bisulfateSodium bisulfate Sodium bisulfate, also sodium hydrogen sulfate, has the chemical formula NaHSO4.... . Hobbyist gold refiners use sodium nitrate to make a hybrid aqua regiaAqua regia Aqua regia is a highly corrosive, fuming yellow or red solution formed by a fresh mixture of concentrated nitric acid and ... that dissolves gold and other metals. Less common applications include its use as a substitute oxidizer used in fireworks as a replacement for potassium nitratePotassium nitrate The chemical compound potassium nitrate is a naturally occurring mineral source of nitrogen.... commonly found in black powderBlack powder Black powder is the original gunpowder and practically the only known propellant and explosive until the middle of the 19th ... and as a component in instant cold packs. Because sodium nitrate can be used as a Phase Change MaterialPhase Change Material A Phase Change Material is a substance with a high heat of fusion which, melting and solidifying at certain temperatures, is... it may be used for heat transferHeat transfer In thermal science, heat transfer is the passage of thermal energy, i.e.... in solar powerSolar power Solar power is the technology of obtaining usable energy from the light of the Sun.... plants. Further reading Dennis W. Barnum. (2003). "Some History of Nitrates." Journal of Chemical Education. v. 80, p. 1393-. . External links U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (public domain)