AMMONIUM CARBONATE

~ also known as Diammonium carbonate; Carbonic acid, 506-87-6; diammonium salt; Carbonic acid, ammonium salt; Ammonia sesquicarbonate; etc. is a salt used as a leavening agent. It can be used for baked goods, such as flat biscuits, cookies, lekuchen, and crackers. It is also utilized as smelling salt. Other names of the compound include; sal volatile, baker’s ammonia, salt of hartshorn, and E503. The Global Ammonium Carbonate Market is on the increase. Approximately 80000 tons per year were produced as of 1997. One of the major drivers of the ammonium carbonate market is the rising demand for processed foods.

Chemical structure: Ammonium carbonate is a salt with the chemical formula (NH₄)₂CO₃, CH₆N₂O₂, CH₅NO₃, CH₈N₂O₃, or CH₈N₂O₃.

Properties: Ammonium carbonate is a colorless crystalline solid or a white powder. It has a strong odor of ammonia. It is noncombustible. It is soluble in water and has a melting point of 58ºC.

Chemical reactions and Uses: Ammonium carbonate decomposes when exposed to air with loose ammonia and carbon dioxide. It decomposes in hot water, forming ammonia and carbon dioxide.

Ammonium carbonate is commonly used as a leavening agent in traditional recipes, especially those from Scandinavia and northern Europe. It also used as an acidity regulator, with the E number E503. Ammonium carbonate is the major component of salts, though the commercial level of their production is small. It is also used as fungicides and food additives.