| Structure | | | | potential (Eo' -0.66 V vs NHE at pH 7). Potassium |
| Raman spectroscopy and single-crystal X-ray | | | | ferricyanide is usually used as an oxidizing chemical in |
| diffraction studies of sodium dithionite in the solid | | | | such experiments (Eo' ~ 436 mV at pH 7). In |
| state reveals that it exists in different forms. In one | | | | addition, sodium dithionite is often used in soil |
| anhydrous form, the dithionite ion has C2 geometry, | | | | chemistry experiments to determine the amount of |
| almost eclipsed with a 16 O-S-S-O torsional angle. In | | | | iron that is not incorporated in primary silicate |
| the dihydrated form (Na2S2O4.2H2O), the dithionite | | | | minerals. Hence, iron extracted by sodium dithionite is |
| anion has a shorter S-S bond length and a gauche 56 | | | | also referred to as "free iron." The strong affinity of |
| O-S-S-O torsional angle. | | | | the dithionite ion for bi- and trivalent metal cations |
| Applications | | | | (M2+, M3+) allows it to enhance the solubility of iron, |
| Industry | | | | and therefore dithionite is a useful chelating agent. |
| This compound is a water-soluble salt, and can be | | | | When you heat the reaction, rainbow colors emerge |
| used as a reducing agent in aqueous solutions. It is | | | | due to the high transition states of energy. |
| used as such in some industrial dying processes, | | | | Geosciences |
| where an otherwise water-insoluble dye can be | | | | Sodium dithionite has been used in chemical Enhanced |
| reduced into a water-soluble alkali metal salt. The | | | | Oil Recovery to stabilize polyacrylamide polymers |
| reduction properties of sodium dithionite also eliminate | | | | against radical degradation in the presence of iron. It |
| excess dye, residual oxide, and unintended pigments, | | | | has also been used in environmental applications to |
| thereby improving overall colour quality. Reaction with | | | | propagate a low Eh front in the subsurface in order |
| formaldehyde produces Rongalite, which is used as a | | | | to reduce pollutants such as chromium. |
| bleach, in, for instance, paper pulp, cotton, wool, | | | | See also |
| Leather, Chrome Tanning agent and kaolin clay. | | | | Dithionite |
| Na2S2O4 + 2 CH2O 2 HOCH2SO2 + 2 Na+ | | | | References |
| Sodium dithionite can also be used for water | | | | ^ Pratt, L. A. (1924). "The Manufacture of Sodium |
| treatment, gas purification, cleaning, and stripping. It | | | | Hyposulfite". Industrial & Engineering Chemistry |
| can also be used in industrial processes as a | | | | 16: 676677. doi:10.1021/ie50175a006. edit |
| sulfonating agent or a sodium ion source. In addition | | | | ^ Weinrach, J. B. (1992). "A structural study of |
| to the textile industry, this compound is used in | | | | sodium dithionite and its ephemeral dihydrate: A new |
| industries concerned with leather, foods, polymers, | | | | conformation for the dithionite ion". Journal of |
| photography, and many others. Its wide use is | | | | Crystallographic and Spectroscopic Research 22: |
| attributable to its low toxicity LD 50 at 5 g/kg, and | | | | 291301. doi:10.1007/BF01199531. edit |
| hence its wide range of applications. | | | | ^ Herman Harry Szmant (1989). Organic building |
| Biological sciences | | | | blocks of the chemical industry. John Wiley and Sons. |
| Sodium dithionite is often used in physiology | | | | p. 113. ISBN 0471855456. |
| experiments as a means of lowering solutions' redox | | | | ^ S.G. Mayhew. Eur. J. Biochem. |