Phosphoric acid

Phosphoric acid is an inorganic mineral matter to its pure form extracts from stone in crystal shape.

H₃PO₄ food grade is mostly used as a food additive that is applicable in drinks and jams because can create a sour taste in foods.

This weak acid is a non-volatile thick consistency syrup that also known as Orthophosphoric acid, acid pyrophosphoric, Triphosphoric acid, and hydrogen phosphate.

Properties

Chemical formula	H3PO4
Appearance	Colorless syrup
Odor	odorless
Molar Mass	97.994 g/mol
Melting point	40-42.4 ͦ C
Boiling point	212 ͦ C
Density	1.6845 g/Cm3
Solubility	easily dissolved in water because that’s a very polar molecule.
structure

 

Production

It can be produced by wet process, thermal process, and dry kiln process. The most common way is wet process that the production can be used in fertilizers. The thermal process makes a high purity H₃PO₄ and because of this has application in detergent, pharmaceutical, and chemicals, and the Dry kiln process can reduce environmental pollution and will save more money.

At the end of all these routes, Arsenic should be removed.

 

 Uses

Hydrogen phosphate is used in the food industry for controlling and adjusting PH, it is a cheap substance so it is economical to use.

 

Totally For producing soda beverages, salad dressing, and many desserts H₃PO₄ is being used.

Its usages are in:

Carbonated soft drinks: The existence of H₃PO₄ in these materials make a sharp taste and will prevent molds and bacteria.

Jams: It gives a sour and tangy taste to jams.

Dairy products: Milk, cheese and buttermilk contain Orthophosphoric acid for controlling PH level and modifying proteins.

It also has lots of applications in processed meat, baking powders, flavored water, etc.

Other applications of this product in other industries include the following:

Removing rust: hydrogen phosphate can prevent corrosion and rusty in metals.

It converts Ferric oxide to Ferric phosphate that can be easily removed and fresh metal will appear.

Fertilizers: 80-90% of the production of this material is spent on fertilizer manufacturing, to provide phosphorous for vegetables.

Dentistry: It’s using as a solution for the tooth scaling process.

Cosmetics: This substance is a PH adjuster in hair care, skincare, and decorative cosmetics.

Pharmaceuticals: It is mostly intermediate and used in anti-nausea medicines.

Oxidizing agent: hydrogen phosphate is using in soaps, dyes, detergents, oils and, so on, as an oxidizer.

Dangers

H₃PO₄ 85% food-grade shouldn’t consider as a dangerous matter, of course, its PH is less than 1 and because of this the producers should follow safety instruction and use proper equipment.H₃PO₄ can irritate eye and skin if contact with them also It’s a corrosive substance that can produce toxic gas when contact with organic compounds.

If someone inhales, ingests, or has contact with hydrogen phosphate, it causes some feelings such as pain, gastrointestinal problems, skin burns, Irritated nose and throat, coughing, etc.

In contact with the eyes, it causes blurred vision and permanent eye damage.

In foods, it has a limited amount but in long-term usage, it will damage the body with lower bone density because of reducing calcium amount. It also causes dental erosion, kidney issue, and kidney stone, and also decreasing the level of nutrients and increasing the level of acidity.

References

https://en.wikipedia.org/

https://www.brenntag.com/

https://azchemistry.com/

https://byjus.com/

https://www.chefsteps.com/

https://www.healthline.com/