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Sodium Azide
Sodium azide is a highly toxic, colorless, odorless crystalline inorganic salt with the chemical formula NaN3. It is widely used as a rapid gas-generating agent in automotive airbags, as a biocidal preservative in laboratory reagents, and as an important reagent in chemical synthesis. It is highly soluble in water and acts as a potent inhibitor of mitochondrial respiration.
Key Details:
Chemical Formula: NaN3
Description:
Appearance: Colorless, odorless crystalline solid.
Properties: Highly soluble in water (approximately 50–100 mg/mL at 72°F),
dense (1.85 g/cm3), and acutely toxic.
Stability: Generally stable, but may explode if heated to decomposition
(~527°F / 275°C) or if it forms shock-sensitive heavy metal azides.
Common Uses:
- Automotive Airbags: Used as a propellant to rapidly generate nitrogen gas during airbag deployment.
- Laboratory Preservative: Acts as a biocidal agent to inhibit microbial growth in biological samples and reagents.
- Chemical Synthesis: Used as a reagent for producing organic and inorganic azide compounds.
- Agriculture: Used in limited applications as a pesticide and herbicide.
Safety Note: Sodium azide is extremely poisonous and acts in a manner similar to cyanide by inhibiting cellular respiration. Strict handling, storage, and disposal controls are required.
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