Description

Brief overview

Sodium formate, HCOONa, is the sodium salt of formic acid, HCOOH. It usually appears as a white deliquescent powder. Sodium formate is used in several fabrics dyeing and printing processes. It is also used as a buffering agent for strong mineral acids to increase their pH, as a food additive (E237), and as a de-icing agent.

Manufacturing Process

The process for the production of sodium formate which comprises reacting carbon monoxide gas with a solution of caustic soda which also contains sodium formate in amount such that the molecular ratio of caustic soda to sodium formate is not substantially above 1 to l and simultaneously vaporizing water from the solution into said gas and thereby removing water from the solution in amount sufficient to crystallize sodium formate therefrom and form a slurry of sodium formate and insufficient to crystallize caustic soda from the solution.

The process for the production of sodium formate which comprises contacting a solution of caustic soda with carbon monoxide gas and thereby reacting caustic soda with carbon monoxide to form said formate, said solution containing a molecular ratio of caustic soda to sodium formate above 1 to 1, continuing to react the carbon monoxide with the caustic soda until the molecular ratio of caustic soda to sodium formate in the solution does not substantially exceed 1 to 1 while maintaining in the solution sufficient water to retain in solution the caustic soda and sodium formate present, and thereafter passing a carbon monoxide gas in contact with the caustic soda solution under conditions such that water is vaporized from the solution into the carbon monoxide gas and is thereby removed from the solution in amount sufficient to form a slurry of sodium formate and insufficient to crystallize caustic soda from the solution.