The key difference between sodium fluoride and sodium monofluorophosphate is that sodium fluoride contains sodium cations with fluoride anions, whereas sodium monofluorophosphate is composed of sodium, fluorine, phosphorous and oxygen atoms.
Both sodium fluoride and sodium monofluorophosphate are important inorganic compounds that have the ability to heal tooth disorders. Therefore, these compounds are included in many types of toothpaste.
CONTENTS
1. Overview and Key Difference
2. What is Sodium Fluoride
3. What is Sodium Monofluorophosphate
4. Side by Side Comparison – Sodium Fluoride vs Sodium Monofluorophosphate in Tabular Form
5. Summary
What is Sodium Fluoride?
Sodium fluoride is an inorganic compound, and it has the chemical formula NaF. A synonym for this compound is Florocid. Also, it is a colourless solid that readily dissolves in water. The molar mass of sodium fluoride is 41.98 g/mol. And, the melting point is 993 °C, while the boiling point is 1,704 °C. Besides, the crystal structure of sodium fluoride is a cubic crystal system.
Figure 01: Cubic Crystal Structure of Sodium Fluoride
Moreover, concerning its applications, sodium fluoride is an important ingredient in pharmaceutical products and toothpaste. Also, it can protect against cavities in the tooth. This compound naturally occurs in the form of villiaumite, which is a rare mineral. However, it can be made industrially for its applications. We can produce sodium fluoride via neutralization of HF acid. Here, alcohols can be used to precipitate NaF. This process involves the reaction between HF and NaOH. HF is obtained as a byproduct of the production of phosphoric acid from fluorophosphate by a wet process.
Furthermore, sodium fluoride contains sodium cation and fluoride anion. Due to the presence of fluoride ions, this compound is useful as a medication to prevent tooth decay caused by low fluoride uptake. It is also used to treat children in areas where the fluoride content in drinking water is low. NF has many applications in chemistry for synthesis and extractive metallurgy. In addition, it is used in organic synthesis reactions, as a cleaning agent and as a poison for plant-feeding insects.
What is Sodium Monofluorophosphate?
Sodium monofluorophosphate is an inorganic compound having the chemical formula Na2PO3F. The molar mass of this compound is 143 g/mol. And, it is commonly abbreviated as MFP. Also, it is a salt compound which is colourless, odourless, and readily dissolves in water. However, it is insoluble in organic solvents such as ethanol and ether. It appears as a white powder when produced industrially. Application-wise, it is a common ingredient in toothpaste.
Figure 02: Chemical Structure of MFT
In the industrial-scale production, MFT is produced via the reaction between sodium fluoride and sodium metaphosphate. Also, as an alternative method, it can be produced by treating tetrasodium phosphate with hydrogen fluoride.
When considering tooth decay problems, MFT acts as a fluoride source that comes from toothpaste. It can release fluoride via the hydrolysis of the compound. This fluoride can protect teeth from bacteria that cause dental cavities.
What is the Difference Between Sodium Fluoride and Sodium Monofluorophosphate?
Sodium fluoride and sodium monofluorophosphate are important ingredients in toothpaste. The key difference between sodium fluoride and sodium monofluorophosphate is that sodium fluoride contains sodium cations with fluoride anions, whereas sodium monofluorophosphate is composed of sodium, fluorine, phosphorous and oxygen atoms.
Below infographic tabulates the differences between sodium fluoride and sodium monofluorophosphate.
Summary – Sodium Fluoride vs Sodium Monofluorophosphate
Sodium fluoride and sodium monofluorophosphate are important ingredients in toothpaste due to the ability to heal disorders regarding tooth. The key difference between sodium fluoride and sodium monofluorophosphate is that sodium fluoride contains sodium cations with fluoride anions, whereas sodium monofluorophosphate is composed of sodium, fluorine, phosphorous and oxygen atoms.
Reference:
1.“Sodium Monofluorophosphate.” National Center for Biotechnology Information. PubChem Compound Database, U.S. National Library of Medicine, Available here.
2. “Sodium Monofluorophosphate.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 29 Jan. 2020, Available here.
Image Courtesy:
1. “Sodium-fluoride-3D-ionic” By Benjah-bmm27 – Own work (Public Domain) via Commons Wikimedia
2. “Sodium monofluorophosphate” By Ed (Edgar181) – Own work (Public Domain) via Commons Wikimedia