Chemistry Forum

Hello,
in my country its not possible to buy Sodium lactate or it is crazy expensive.
Seller of chemicals for my soap making told that i could make Sodium lactate at home from lactic acid (C₃H₆O₃) and sodium carbonate (Na₂CO₃).

His advice was just put sodium carbonate into lactic acid. When sodium carbonate is no longer dissolves in lactic acid - i will get Sodium lactate.

I've got 80% lactic acid and 99.6% sodium carbonate from him. But really would like to know more precise measurements.

Could anyone please help to calculate how many grams of sodium carbonate (99.6%) i need to put into 1000g of lactic acid (80%)?

What would be a concentration of Sodium lactate at given solution?


Thank you very much in advance for help!

1000g 80% means 800g 100%. Molare mass of lactid acid is 90 g/mol

This gives n = m/M => 800g/90g = 8,89 mol

According Na₂CO₃ + 2 CH₃CH(OH)COOH => 2 CH₃CH(OH) COONa + H₂O + CO₂

the half 4,44 mol of sodium carbonate is needed. The molar mass is 106 g/mol

This gives 471 g 100% or 473g 99,6% sodium carbonate.

The amount of sodium lactate will be 995 g.

Thank you very much!