Sodium Acetate

Sodium acetate is used in the textile industry to neutralize sulfuric acid waste streams, and as a photoresist while using aniline dyes. It is also a pickling agent in chrome tanning, and it helps to retard vulcanization of chloroprene in synthetic rubber production. Sodium acetate is the chemical that gives salt and vinegar chips (crisps) their flavor. It may also be added to foods as a preservative; in this application it is usually written as "sodium diacetate" and labeled E262. As the conjugate base of a weak acid, a solution of sodium acetate and acetic acid can act as a buffer to keep a relatively constant pH. This is useful especially in biochemical applications where reactions are pH dependent.