Sodium sulfite (Sodium Sulphite) is an inorganic compound with the chemical formula Na2SO3. A white, water-soluble solid, it is used commercially as an antioxidant and preservative. Heptahydrate is also known but it is less useful because of its greater susceptibility toward oxidation by air.
As a reducing agent it is used in the textile industry as a bleaching, desulfurizing, and dechlorinating agent (e.g., in swimming pools). Its reducing properties are exploited in its use as a preservative to prevent dried fruit from discoloring, and for preserving meats.
As an oxygen scavenger agent, it is used to treat water being fed to steam boilers to avoid corrosion problems, in the photographic industry, it protects developer solutions from oxidation and (as hypo clear solution) to wash fixer (sodium thiosulfate) from film and photo-paper emulsions.
- Used as an antioxidant.
- Used as preservative.
- Oxygen scavenger agent
- Excellent Corrosion preventor
