Ammonium citrate diabasic | Diammonium citrate | 3012-65-5 | C6H8O7.2NH3

Diammonium citrate, similar to other ammonium citrates, is used for its buffering, chelating, and stabilizing properties across various industries. Here are some of its primary applications:

1. Food and Beverage Industry:

• Acidity Regulator: Diammonium citrate is used as a buffering agent to maintain or adjust the pH in food and beverage formulations. By balancing acidity, it can enhance flavor stability and preserve freshness, especially in products like carbonated drinks and fruit-flavored beverages.

• Nutrient Additive: In some cases, it is used to add ammonium ions, which can be a nutrient source in specific food fermentation processes, especially in yeast-fermented products.

2. Agriculture:

• Fertilizer Component: Diammonium citrate acts as a nitrogen source in fertilizers. It’s beneficial for plant growth as it provides ammonium ions that plants can readily absorb. Additionally, the citrate acts as a chelating agent, enhancing the bioavailability of essential nutrients in the soil.

• Foliar Spray and Soil Amendment: The compound can be included in foliar sprays to support nutrient uptake directly through plant leaves or added to the soil to modify its pH and improve nutrient availability.

3. Photographic Industry:

• Photographic Processing: In traditional black-and-white photography, diammonium citrate is used in certain developers and processing solutions. It acts as a buffer to control the development rate and can help prevent fogging (unwanted darkening) of the film or paper.

4. Electronics and Metal Treatment:

• Electroplating: In electroplating processes, diammonium citrate can act as a complexing agent to stabilize metal ions in the plating solution, enabling a smoother and more controlled deposition of metals.

• Metal Cleaning and Polishing: As a chelating agent, it’s used in metal treatment solutions to remove oxide layers and impurities from metal surfaces, preparing them for further treatment or improving their appearance.

5. Laboratory and Analytical Applications:

• Buffer and Chelating Agent: Diammonium citrate is used as a buffer in biochemical assays and analytical chemistry to control pH levels, especially in situations that require a mildly acidic to neutral environment.

• Titration and Metal Ion Analysis: It can chelate metal ions, which can be helpful in complexometric titrations, where it binds to specific ions to assist in their measurement or separation.

6. Cosmetics and Personal Care:

• pH Stabilizer: In cosmetics and personal care formulations, diammonium citrate can act as a pH stabilizer to enhance product stability and compatibility with skin.

• Chelating Agent: It’s often included to bind and neutralize metal ions that could cause discoloration or degradation of active ingredients, especially in products with high water content.

7. Textile Industry:

• Dyeing Process: In textile dyeing, diammonium citrate may be used as a mordant or to adjust the pH of dye baths. This helps improve dye absorption and adherence to fabrics, resulting in more vibrant and durable colors.

The versatility of diammonium citrate is due to its dual roles as both an ammonium source and a citrate-based chelating agent, which enhances stability and effectiveness across these various applications.