Sodium percarbonate
Template:Other uses Template:Chembox
Sodium percarbonate or sodium carbonate peroxide is an inorganic compound with the formula Template:Chem2. It is an adduct of sodium carbonate ("soda ash" or "washing soda") and hydrogen peroxide (that is, a perhydrate). It is a colorless, crystalline, hygroscopic, and water-soluble solid.<ref name = "Jones">Template:Cite book</ref> It is sometimes abbreviated as SPC. It contains 32.5% by weight of hydrogen peroxide.Template:Citation needed
The product is used in some eco-friendly bleaches and other cleaning products.<ref name = "Jones"/>
History
Sodium percarbonate was first prepared in 1899 by the Russian chemist Sebastian Moiseevich Tanatar (7 October 1849 – 30 November 1917).<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref>
Structure
At room temperature, solid sodium percarbonate has the orthorhombic crystal structure, with the Cmca crystallographic space group. The structure changes to Pbca as the crystals are cooled below about Template:Convert.<ref name="prit1">Template:Cite journal</ref>
Chemistry
Dissolved in water, sodium percarbonate yields a mixture of hydrogen peroxide, sodium cations (Template:Chem2), and carbonate (Template:Chem2).<ref name = "Jones"/><ref name="rscvanish" />
Production
Sodium percarbonate is produced industrially by crystallization of a solution of sodium carbonate and hydrogen peroxide, with attention to the pH and concentrations.<ref name="prit0">Template:Cite journal</ref><ref name="prit1"/> This method is also convenient for the laboratory preparation. Alternatively, dry sodium carbonate may be treated directly with concentrated hydrogen peroxide solution.Template:Cn
World production capacity of this compound was estimated at several hundred thousand tons for 2004.<ref name = Ullmann>Template:Ullmann</ref>
Uses
As an oxidizing agent, sodium percarbonate is an ingredient in a number of home and laundry cleaning products, including non-chlorine bleach products such as Oxyper, OxiClean, Tide laundry detergent,<ref name = "Jones"/> and Vanish.<ref name="rscvanish">"Template:Usurped", The Royal Society of Chemistry, and Reckitt Benckiser (the manufacturers of Vanish).</ref>
Many commercial products mix a percentage of sodium percarbonate with sodium carbonate. The average "Oxy" product in the supermarket contains 35–40% sodium percarbonate with about 5% active oxygen when titrated.Template:Citation needed
Sodium percarbonate is also used as a cleaning agent in homebrewing.<ref name="Sodium Percarbonate | MoreBeer">Template:Cite web</ref>
Sodium percarbonate can be used in organic synthesis as a convenient source of anhydrous Template:Chem2, in particular in solvents that cannot dissolve the carbonate but can leach the Template:Chem2 out of it.<ref name="mckill">Template:Cite journal</ref> A method for generating trifluoroperacetic acid in situ for use in Baeyer–Villiger oxidations from sodium percarbonate and trifluoroacetic anhydride has been reported; it provides a convenient and cheap approach to this reagent without the need to obtain highly concentrated hydrogen peroxide.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref><ref>Template:Cite encyclopedia</ref>