Sodium citrate from washing soda (sodium carbonate) and citric acid

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myriad

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I'd like to make some sodium citrate to use as a chelator. Do any of ye chemistry-minded folks know the proportions of sodium carbonate to citric acid to form sodium citrate, and what the final weight of the result might be?

Some background info: over here in NL, we have very hard water, so I read with great interest the thread about making sodium citrate from baking soda + citric acid. However, baking soda is imported, so it is harder to find and is more expensive than sodium carbonate. I have access to all sorts of sodium carbonate, monohydrate, decahydrate, we've got it all.

The original thread is here: Sodium citrate from baking soda and citric acid
 
I'd like to make some sodium citrate to use as a chelator. Do any of ye chemistry-minded folks know the proportions of sodium carbonate to citric acid to form sodium citrate, and what the final weight of the result might be?

Some background info: over here in NL, we have very hard water, so I read with great interest the thread about making sodium citrate from baking soda + citric acid. However, baking soda is imported, so it is harder to find and is more expensive than sodium carbonate. I have access to all sorts of sodium carbonate, monohydrate, decahydrate, we've got it all.

The original thread is here: Sodium citrate from baking soda and citric acid

I've read a few blogs that explain to bake just baking soda in the oven at 200°C (400°F) for 30 minutes to 1 hour

https://gippslandunwrapped.com/2016/07/13/how-to-make-washing-soda/
But I've never tried, I always just buy my big box of washing soda at Walmart.
 
I've read a few blogs that explain to bake just baking soda in the oven at 200°C (400°F) for 30 minutes to 1 hour

But I've never tried, I always just buy my big box of washing soda at Walmart.

But, I thought washing soda is sodium carbonate, not sodium citrate?

Edit: sorry to resurrect the thread-- I was in automatic mode and searching for more Sodium citrate info.
 
Last edited:
But, I thought washing soda is sodium carbonate, not sodium citrate?

Edit: sorry to resurrect the thread-- I was in automatic mode and searching for more Sodium citrate info.
How to make washing soda from baking soda
As mentioned sodium carbonate is Na2CO3. Baking soda is sodium bicarbonate, NaCHO3. Simply heat the baking soda so that water (H2O) and carbon dioxide (CO2) are driven off, leaving you with sodium carbonate (washing soda). To save energy, it’s a good idea to make this when you are already using the oven for other baked goods.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/gippslandunwrapped.com/2016/07/13/how-to-make-washing-soda/amp/
Yep I miss read the post I replied to originally…my bad!
 
Or, if you want to use the sodium citrate in soap anyway, add 81 g citric acid (monohydrate) and increase NaOH by 47 g for each 100 g of sodium citrate you want to have in the final product – no extra steps (bicarbonate decomposition, crystallisation, oven drying, weighing, storage etc.) needed.

ETA: Just realised that today's first citrate-enriched thread was this one rather, lol: Best Chelator/anti DOS ingredients
 

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