What is the Difference Between Sodium Acetate and Sodium Acetate Trihydrate

The key difference between sodium acetate and sodium acetate trihydrate is that sodium acetate is a chemical compound having the chemical formula NaCH3COO, whereas sodium acetate trihydrate is the most common hydrated form of sodium acetate, consisting of three water molecules associated with one sodium acetate molecule.

Sodium acetate is the sodium salt of acetic acid. Sodium acetate trihydrate is the most common hydrated form of sodium acetate.

CONTENTS

1. Overview and Key Difference
2. What is Sodium Acetate 
3. What is Sodium Acetate Trihydrate
4. Sodium Acetate vs Sodium Acetate Trihydrate  in Tabular Form
5. Summary – Sodium Acetate vs Sodium Acetate Trihydrate 

What is Sodium Acetate?

Sodium acetate is the chemical compound having the chemical formula NaCH3COO. We can abbreviate it as NaOAc. It is the sodium salt of acetic acid. Sodium acetate is a colourless deliquescent salt having a wide range of applications.

The major applications of sodium acetate include using it as a carbon source for culturing bacteria in biotechnological applications, use in the textile industry to neutralize sulfuric acid waste streams, application in concrete longevity to migrate water damage to concrete by acting as a concrete sealant, in the food industry as a seasoning agent, in making the buffer solution of sodium acetate and acetic acid, use in heating pads, hand warmers, and hot ice, etc.

Sodium acetate is an inexpensive compound that is usually purchased instead of laboratory preparation. We can produce sodium acetate in laboratory experiments using the reaction of acetic acid (5-8%) with sodium carbonate, sodium bicarbonate and sodium hydroxide. These reactions can produce sodium acetate and water.

When considering the chemical structure of sodium acetate, it has a crystal structure in an anhydrous form. We can describe it as an alternating sodium-carboxylate and methyl group layers. This compound can undergo decarboxylation, forming methane under forcing conditions.

What Sodium Acetate Trihydrate?

Sodium acetate trihydrate is the most common hydrated form of sodium acetate. It has three water molecules associated with one sodium acetate molecule.

This compounds’ structure contains distorted octahedral coordination at sodium ion. It appears as a one-dimensional chain structure.

What is the Difference Between Sodium Acetate and Sodium Acetate Trihydrate?

Sodium acetate is the sodium salt of acetic acid. Sodium acetate trihydrate is the most common hydrated form of sodium acetate. The key difference between sodium acetate and sodium acetate trihydrate is that sodium acetate is the chemical compound having the chemical formula NaCH3COO, whereas sodium acetate trihydrate is the most common hydrated form of sodium acetate consisting of three water molecules associated with one sodium acetate molecule.

There are many uses of sodium acetate, including use as a carbon source for culturing bacteria in biotechnological applications, use in the textile industry to neutralize sulfuric acid waste streams, application in concrete longevity to migrate water damage to concrete by acting as a concrete sealant, use in food industry as a seasoning agent, etc. The uses of sodium acetate trihydrate include as a source of sodium ions in solutions, for dialysis, as a systemic and urinary alkalizer, diuretic, and as an expectorant.

The below infographic lists the differences between sodium acetate and sodium acetate trihydrate in tabular form for side by side comparison.

Summary – Sodium Acetate vs Sodium Acetate Trihydrate

Sodium acetate and sodium acetate trihydrate are sodium salts of acetic acid. The key difference between sodium acetate and sodium acetate trihydrate is that sodium acetate is the chemical compound having the chemical formula NaCH3COO, whereas sodium acetate trihydrate is the most common hydrated form of sodium acetate consisting of three water molecules associated with one sodium acetate molecule.

Reference:

1. “Sodium Acetate Trihydrate.” National Center for Biotechnology Information. PubChem Compound Database, U.S. National Library of Medicine.

Image Courtesy:

1. “Sodium-acetate-2D-skeletal” (Public Domain) via Commons Wikimedia
2. “Sodium-acetate-trihydrate-xtal-Na-coordination-3D-bs-17” By Ben Mills – Own work (Public Domain) via Commons Wikimedia