sodium dichromate
Noun: A red-orange, crystalline, inorganic salt with the chemical formula Na₂Cr₂O₇. It is a powerful oxidizing agent and is used primarily as a mordant in dyeing and textile processing to fix colors onto fabrics. It is also used in other industrial processes, such as metal finishing and wood preservation. The compound is highly toxic and corrosive.
This term is used in technical, industrial, and chemical contexts. It refers specifically to the chemical compound itself or its application. - The laboratory ordered a new batch of sodium dichromate for the oxidation experiments. - Traditional wool dyeing often uses sodium dichromate as a mordant to ensure colorfastness.
- As a reagent: Sodium dichromate is commonly used as an oxidizing reagent in organic synthesis and analytical chemistry.
- The alcohol was oxidized to a carboxylic acid using sodium dichromate in acidic solution.
- In safety protocols: Due to its hazardous nature (carcinogenic, toxic, and corrosive), the term frequently appears in material safety data sheets (MSDS) and environmental regulations.
- Handling sodium dichromate requires strict personal protective equipment, including gloves and a fume hood.
- Sodium bichromate: An older, synonymous name for the same compound.
- Dichromate: The general term for salts containing the dichromate anion (Cr₂O₇²⁻), of which sodium dichromate is one example.
- Mordant: A substance used to set dyes on fabrics, which is a primary function of sodium dichromate.
- Sodium bichromate (technical synonym)
- Disodium dichromate (systematic name)
Not applicable. This is a technical chemical compound term and is not used in idiomatic expressions or common phrasal verbs.
- a red-orange salt used as a mordant