Citric acids - Import export

Chemical appearance: Anhydrous citric acid is presented in a white crystalline powder. It is also packaged in the form of colorless granules or crystals. The crystals have no odor but have a strong acid taste. Chemical application and strengths: Anhydrous citric acid has similar properties to citric acid monohydrate. The difference is the crystallization procedure. While the monohydrate citric acid is crystalized in cold water, the anhydrous forms are crystallized in water at a temperature of 78 degrees Celsius. In the process, it loses all the water within the crystals. Citric acid anhydrous is one of the strong edible acids. Due to that property, it is a common food additive to enhance its flavor. It is also used for preservation of foods especially candies and soft drinks. In addition, it reacts with different metals to form citrate salts that are used as dietary supplements for people who lack minerals such as iron, sodium and magnesium.

Chemical application and strengths: Despite being a monohydrate salt (crystallized from clod water) the salt can also crystalize in hot water to become anhydrous (water-free). This property becomes possible as it has a high melting point of 156 degrees Celsius. This property along with the ability to bond with other metal ions to form complex molecules makes it a good chelating agent for several industrial applications. Some of these applications include the removal of limescale from evaporators and boilers. The industrial-grade citric acidis one of the active agents in the preparation of kitchen and bathroomcleaning agents. It is a strong breach with a PH of about 3.2, which makes it a good solution of removing rust from metals such as steel as it combines with rust particles with ease. In the same line, it reacts with free ions on the surface of stainless steel to prevent further corrosion.