Essential Things to Know About Sodium Nitrate

The vast salt reserves that were there in Chile were the main supply of sodium nitrate. It has found the usage in the agriculture industry and pyrotechnics. But the developments in tech have made sure that synthetic ammonia can be produced synthetically. Most sodium nitrate for sale is made this way.

Details

Sodium nitrate consists of a sodium cation (Na+) and also the nitrate anion (NO3-). At the room temperature, the compound exists as white, crystalline solid that easily gets dissolved in water. But this compound in not-flammable. But it is an oxidizing agent which allows it to react with numerous inflammable compounds. When the compound is heated to very high temperature, it decomposes explosively. As mentioned earlier, the main applications of the compound are in agriculture for making fertilizers and pyrotechnics.

Structure

The sodium nitrate features an iconic bond between one (Na+) ion and one
(NO3-) ion. It has a trigonal planar structure in which there are three oxygen atoms are bonded to the central nitrogen atom. The negative charge on this ion is delocalized due to the resonance.

Physically, the sodium nitrate is a crystalline solid which it white. It comes in two structures. One is rhombohedral and the trigonal. The compound has a sweet odour. It gets dissolved in water and is also highly soluble in ammonia. However, when the compound is dissolved in water, it disassociates into (Na+) and (NO3-). It is a oxidizes and reacts violently with specific agents.

Application

Sodium nitrate is readily and entirely soluble in water, and the soil colloids do not absorb the nitrate ion. It should be applied in the first utilization by the crop after the application. The loss of nitrate in drainage water is severe when the nitrate is applied to sands and those with open subsoils.

Common Use

It is used as a fertilizer when the sodium nitrate acts as a storage vessel for nitrogen. The nitrogen stimulates the overall plant growth. The leaves are full, and stems and roots are healthy in the lack of nitrogen, the plant growth halts. When the nitrogen supply is more than needed, it can cause damage to flower and fruit growth. When it is used as fertilizer, nitrogen reaches the roots of the plants. It then helps the processing in the vascular system of the plant.

Finally,

Most sodium nitrate for sale in synthetically made. Many manufacturers produce the compound for different industrial usage.