Conversion of Sodium Bicarbonate into Sodium Carbonate

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Conversion of Sodium Bicarbonate into Sodium Carbonate

Sodium carbonate on left and bicarbonate on right, both in oversaturated solutions. After vs Before the conversion. Sodium carbonate on left and bicarbonate on right. Notice how carbonate is more grainy and bicarbonate more loose/fluffy Pour sodium bicarbonate (baking soda) onto a non-aluminum pan or oven-safe dish. Place in the oven at 400ºF (205ºC) for one hour to release CO2. The resulting material should have lost around third of the original weight. It will be of a slightly less powdery consistency, closer to sugar than flour. sodium carbonate feels a bit looser and grainier than bicarbonate, and in an oversaturated solution, sodium bicarbonate will remain powdery while sodium carbonate tends to rock up. NOTE This can also be done on a stove top/oven ring in a pot and take around 5-10 minutes to completely dehydrate (it becomes a fine light white powder and the CO2 stops bubbling through the powder).