Substance profile
Sodium carbonate
Sodium carbonate is grayish-white powder or lumps containing up to 99% sodium carbonate and is odorless.
01 · Identification
What Sodium carbonate is
Sodium carbonate is grayish-white powder or lumps containing up to 99% sodium carbonate and is odorless. Its molecular formula is CNa2O3 and its molecular weight is 105.988 g/mol. It melts at 856 °C.
Under the GHS it carries the signal word Warning.
02 · Identifiers
Sodium carbonate identifiers and molecular data
Sodium carbonate CAS number and EC number
Sodium carbonate molecular formula and molecular weight
Other names for Sodium carbonate
- soda ash
- washing soda
- Na2CO3
03 · GHS classification
Sodium carbonate hazard classification
Harmonised classification under CLP Annex VI. This is the legally binding classification in the EU; other jurisdictions may differ.
Sodium carbonate pictograms and signal word
Sodium carbonate hazard class and category
| Hazard class | Category | From code | Pictogram |
|---|---|---|---|
| Serious eye damage/eye irritation GHS chapter 3.3 | Category 2A | H319 | GHS07 |
Sodium carbonate hazard statements (H-codes)
| Code | Hazard statement |
|---|---|
| H319 | Causes serious eye irritation. |
This page lists only the codes assigned to Sodium carbonate. The full reference lives on the hazard statements hub, the precautionary statements hub and the GHS pictograms hub.
Safety Data Sheet
Getting an SDS for Sodium carbonate
Our own Sodium carbonate safety data sheet walks through all sixteen sections of the published data. What it is not is the document an inspector asks for: an SDS is issued for a product by its supplier, so the sheet covering the grade actually standing in your store exists only in that supplier’s version. Collecting those and keeping them current as suppliers revise them is a separate job.
04 · Precautionary statements
Sodium carbonate precautionary statements
CLP Annex VI assigns 6 precautionary statements to Sodium carbonate. They are grouped the way a label groups them: what to do before handling, what to do when something has already happened, how to store it and how to dispose of it.
Prevention
What to do before and during handling so the hazard never happens.
Response
What to do once exposure, spillage or fire has already happened.
Reading the notation. … is a blank the supplier fills in — not a truncated sentence.· [square brackets] mark a part printed only when it applies.
05 · Names in the regulation
Sodium carbonate name in 23 EU languages
CLP Annex VI Part 3 is published in every language edition of the regulation, and the identification column is written out in each of them. Nothing below is translated by us: each line is the name as that edition prints it. Under Art. 18(2) the substance name from Annex VI is a lawful product identifier, so this is the wording to put on a label going to that market — and where the cell lists several designations, any one of them qualifies.
| Language | Name in CLP Annex VI Part 3 |
|---|---|
| Bulgarian български | натриев карбонат |
| Spanish español | Carbonato de sodio |
| Czech čeština | uhličitan sodný |
| Danish dansk | natriumcarbonat |
| German Deutsch | Natriumcarbonat |
| Estonian eesti | naatriumkarbonaat |
| Greek ελληνικά | ανθρακικό νάτριο |
| English English | sodium carbonate |
| French français | carbonate de sodium |
| Croatian hrvatski | natrijev karbonat |
| Italian italiano | sodio carbonato |
| Latvian latviešu | nātrija karbonāts |
| Lithuanian lietuvių | natrio karbonatas |
| Hungarian magyar | nátrium-karbonát |
| Maltese Malti | karbonat tas-sodju |
| Dutch Nederlands | natriumcarbonaat |
| Polish polski | węglan sodu węglan disodu |
| Portuguese português | carbonato de sódio |
| Romanian română | carbonat de sodiu |
| Slovak slovenčina | uhličitan sodný |
| Slovenian slovenščina | natrijev karbonat |
| Finnish suomi | natriumkarbonaatti |
| Swedish svenska | natriumkarbonat |
All 23 language editions of Annex VI carry this entry. Irish is the twenty-fourth official EU language and has no line here for a different reason: no consolidated CLP text has ever been published in Irish, so there is no Irish edition of Annex VI to quote a name from. Source: consolidated CLP, CELEX 02008R1272, language editions. © European Union, https://eur-lex.europa.eu — only the electronic Official Journal of the European Union is authentic.
06 · Label elements
Sodium carbonate GHS label elements
Everything CLP Annex VI fixes for Sodium carbonate, laid out the way it appears on a label. The greyed lines are the parts only the supplier can fill in.
Warning
Sodium carbonate
- Causes serious eye irritation.
- Wash … thoroughly after handling.
- Wear protective gloves/protective clothing/eye protection/face protection/hearing protection/…
- IF IN EYES:
- Get medical advice/attention.
- If eye irritation persists:
- Remove contact lenses, if present and easy to do. Continue rinsing.
Supplier name, address and telephone number· Product identifier·Nominal quantity
Need this as an actual label? Open Sodium carbonate in the GHS label constructor →
07 · Health hazards
Sodium carbonate health hazards and exposure limits
Sodium carbonate hazard summary
Occurs naturally as the hydrate (thermonatrite) and the decahydrate (natron or natrite); Technical material referred to as soda ash (approximately 99% pure); A skin irritant; Overexposure to dust or vapor causes mucous membrane irritation, coughing, and shortness of breath (chronic overexposure may cause nasal septum perforation); The monohydrate (CAS# 5968-11-6) and decahydrate (CAS# 6132-02-1) are also commercial products; [Merck Index] Skin irritation is none to mild; Dust or concentrated solutions are moderate to severe eye irritants; Cases of nasal septal perforation have been reported in men with continuous exposure to soda ash dust. [CHEMINFO] An alkaline corrosive agent used as detergent in dishwashers; [Olson, p. 214] A skin, eye, and respiratory tract irritant; Prolonged or repeated exposure may cause perforation of the nasal septum; [ICSC] Acceptable daily intake (ADI) as food additive not limited; [JECFA] A mild skin and severe eye irritant; [Sigma-Aldrich MSDS] See Sodium carbonate decahydrate and Sodium carbonate monohydrate.
Source: Haz-Map, Information on Hazardous Chemicals and Occupational Diseases
08 · Physical and chemical properties
Sodium carbonate properties
Every value is shown with the conditions it was measured under and the source it came from. Where sources disagree, all values are listed rather than one being picked — the difference is usually a different form of the substance, not an error.
Sodium carbonate boiling point
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boiling point | Decomposes on heating by CO2 loss | decomposes | HSDB |
Sodium carbonate melting point
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Melting point | 856 °C (1572.8 °F) | HSDB | |
| 851 °C (1563.8 °F) | ICSC |
Sodium carbonate density
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Density | 2.54 g/cm³ | HSDB | |
| 4.7 g/cm³ | HSDB | ||
| 2.5 g/cm³ | ICSC |
Sodium carbonate solubility
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Solubility | Solubility in water at 0, 10, 20 and 30 °C is 6, 8.5, 17 and 28 wt %, respectively. | HSDB | |
| Soluble in water | HSDB | ||
| In water, 30.7 g/100 g water at 25 °C | at 25 °C | HSDB |
Values compiled from PubChem Laboratory Chemical Safety Summary. Temperatures converted to Fahrenheit for reference.
09 · Handling and storage
Sodium carbonate storage and handling
Sodium carbonate safe storage
Dry. Well closed. Separated from incompatible materials. See Chemical Dangers.
Source: ILO-WHO International Chemical Safety Cards (ICSCs)
Sodium carbonate storage conditions
Keep container tightly closed in a dry and well-ventilated place. Hygroscopic. Keep in a dry place. Storage class (TRGS 510): Non Combustible Solids.
Source: Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB)
Sodium carbonate incompatible materials
The anhydrous reaction of sodium carbonate & phosphorus pentoxide, initiated by local heating, can generate relatively high temp.
Source: Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB)
Planning storage for a mix of chemicals? Check Sodium carbonate in the storage compatibility matrix →
10 · Questions
Sodium carbonate — frequently asked questions
What is the CAS number of Sodium carbonate?
The CAS number of Sodium carbonate is 497-19-8. Its EC number is 207-838-8.
What is the chemical formula of Sodium carbonate?
The molecular formula of Sodium carbonate is CNa2O3 and its molecular weight is 105.988 g/mol.
What does a Sodium carbonate label have to show?
Under CLP Annex VI the label for Sodium carbonate carries the pictogram Exclamation mark and the signal word is Warning.
Is Sodium carbonate flammable?
CLP Annex VI assigns Sodium carbonate no flammability hazard class. That is not a statement that it cannot burn: the harmonised list only records the hazards that were assessed for it.
Is Sodium carbonate a carcinogen?
CLP Annex VI records no harmonised carcinogenicity classification for Sodium carbonate. Annex VI is a list of agreed classifications, not a list of substances found safe, so this is an absence of a classification rather than a clean bill of health.
What is the boiling point of Sodium carbonate?
The boiling point reported for Sodium carbonate is Decomposes on heating by CO2 loss, decomposes (HSDB).
What is the melting point of Sodium carbonate?
The melting point reported for Sodium carbonate is 856 °C (1572.8 °F) (HSDB).
How should Sodium carbonate be stored?
Keep container tightly closed in a dry and well-ventilated place. Hygroscopic. Keep in a dry place. Storage class (TRGS 510): Non Combustible Solids. (Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB))
Nearby
Substances next to Sodium carbonate
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