What occurs in nature as a mineral, is produced from brine, can be mined, used as a flavoring for food, and can also be found in great abundance in sea water? The answer is sodium chloride, or more commonly referred to as salt.

Salt is much more than just a flavoring for your food. Did you know that salt reduced human dependence on the seasonal availability of food (because of its ability to preserve) and allowed humans to travel over long distances? It allowed for the migration and survival of civilization. In fact, sodium chloride serves as one of the most important substances used by the human race. Throughout history, salt was used for trading purposes and often resulted in national economies and wars. Although times have changed, the world still consumes and uses quite a bit of sodium chloride each year. The world’s annual consumption of salt exceeds 150 million tons!

So, what is everyone using sodium chloride for? What are some of its everyday uses?

Sodium Chloride for the Human Body:

• Minor Sore Throat – Have a sore throat? Relieve it by mixing a small amount of salt in some warm water and gargle. It is still recommended by doctors today.
• Tired Aching Feet – Soak your feet in some warm salt water and it will ease the soreness and ache in your muscles. Epsom salt will work as well.
• Sprains, Strains and Bee Stings- Warmly dampen a towel, sprinkle some sodium chloride on it, fold it and then place it on the affected area. Even if it’s only temporary, it will bring some relief.
• Poison Ivy – Although a salt bath won’t cure poison ivy, it will sooth the irritation.

Everyday Household Uses for Sodium Chloride:

• Cleaning Vegetables – Cleaning your vegetables in salt water can remove any dirt or grit that may be trapped on and in between them.
• Remove Coffee and Tea Stains from Cups – You can remove any coffee or tea stains by rubbing the stained area with a damp sponge or cloth dipped in salt. You can even clean your coffee maker for that next fresh cup of coffee! Fill it with water, salt and boil.
• Grease Fire – Never, and I mean never, pour water on a grease fire. Use salt instead.
• Reduce Grease Build Up – Pouring some warm salt water down the drain can help reduce grease build up.
• Kills Weeds – Sprinkling salt on unwanted plants will kill them.
• Kills Fleas and Deters Ants – If you are having a flea problem, or an ant problem, sprinkle some salt around your home and lightly on your carpet.

As a top chemical supplier in Orlando, Bell Chem offers fast delivery of any of our hundreds of chemical products including sodium chloride. Our Florida chemical supply company is positioned as the “go to” supplier on a national, as well as international level. Give us a call today at 407-339-BELL (2355) to place an order for chemical products!

Paraffin wax is a white/colorless, odorless soft solid from a chemical family of alkane hydrocarbons. In its purest and rawest form, paraffin wax is considered a heavy alkane hydrocarbon because it contains between 20 and 40 atoms of carbon and between 42 to 82 atoms of hydrogen. Paraffin wax is said to be originally developed when chemists discovered a way to remove the naturally-occurring waxy substance from petroleum during refining.

Paraffin wax is used in a wide variety of industries. The candle industry is likely the largest user of paraffin wax due to the burning properties of this raw material. It’s also used as a carrier for active ingredients in the production of rodent baits, and to coat gun powder and dynamite cartridges to protect them from moisture.

If paraffin wax is combined with ethylene-vinyl acetate (EVA), it becomes more elastic and adhesive. When paraffin wax is in this state, it can be used to produce products like crayons and hot glue sticks. Crayola crayons are known to contain a lot of paraffin wax. In fact, paraffin wax is made especially for Crayola by companies who extract it from products like wood and coal.

As a top-of-the-line chemical supplier in Orlando, Bell Chem offers an extensive list of raw materials and other chemical products such as USP ingredients, reagent-grade chemicals, custom compounds, botanicals, and more. Bell Chem offers fast delivery of any of our hundreds of chemicals. Call us at 407-339-BELL (2355) for a full list of our chemical products and to place an order!

Salicylic acid is a monohydroxybenzoic acid known for its ability to relieve aches and pains and reduce fevers. Although lethal in great quantities, salicylic acid is also used as a food preservative, as a bactericidal, and as an antiseptic. However, this chemical is probably best known for its use in acne treatments.

Salicylic acid is used topically to help clear pimples and skin blemishes in people who have acne. This chemical treats acne by reducing swelling and redness and unplugging blocked skin pores. Topical salicylic acid is also used to treat skin conditions like psoriasis, calluses, or warts, which involve scaling or overgrowth of the skin. Salicylic acid treats these skin conditions by loosening the dry or scaly skin so that it can be easily removed.

Many fruits and vegetables are natural sources of salicylic acid, including blackberries, blueberries, radishes, cantaloupes, green peppers, dates, guavas, olives, raisins, tomatoes, and mushrooms. A few herbs and spices naturally contain high amounts of this chemical as well.

As a top quality chemical supplier in Orlando, Tampa, and Daytona Beach, we look forward to the opportunity to provide your business with quality chemical products and unrivaled customer service. We have a full-time document coordinator as well as quality inspectors to ensure the accuracy and quality of our orders. Give us a call at 407-339-BELL (2355).

In 1779, glycerine was accidentally discovered by K.W. Scheele, a Swedish chemist, while he was heating a mixture of olive oil and litharge (lead monoxide). Scheele called glycerine the “sweet principle of fat” because of its sweet taste.

Glycerine is a colorless, odorless, viscous, non-toxic liquid with a high amount of versatility. The key to glycerine’s versatility is its unique combination of physical and chemical properties, compatibility with many other substances, and easy handling.

Because of its compatibility with other chemicals, glycerine is used in over 3500 products including:

• Food and beverage products
• Pharmaceutical products
• Personal care products like sun skin care, bar soaps, deodorants, cosmetics, facial cleansers, shampoo & conditioner, shower gels, and self-tanners.
• Oral care products such as mouthwash and toothpaste.
• Many other applications including agricultural, industrial, and laboratory uses.

About 300 million pounds of glycerine are used in the United States every year. Worldwide annual consumption totals about 1.1 billion pounds and is expected to rise as industrialization progresses in less developed countries.

As a top quality chemical supply company in Orlando, we look forward to the opportunity to provide you with quality chemical products like glycerine 99.5%. We have a full-time document coordinator as well as quality inspectors to ensure the accuracy and quality of our chemical orders. Give us a call today at 407-339-BELL (2355).

Salt, also known as Sodium Chloride, is a chemical product used in many industries such as medicine, agriculture and food. For centuries, people have used salt as a cleaning agent for household surfaces. It can also cleanse and disinfect a wound. Salt is used in many brands of shampoo, toothpaste, and mouthwash. On the skin, salt can be extremely helpful as a massage element to improve skin complexion.

Salt is added to most foods as a preservative, flavor enhancer, fermentation-control additive, texture-control agent, and/or color developer. As a preservative, salt inhibits the growth of bacteria because many micro organisms cannot live in an overly salty environment. Salt is added to promote color development in bacon, ham and many other processed meat products.

Salt is even used to de-ice driveways and patches of ice on roads. When temperatures are above 0 degrees Fahrenheit, roads are commonly de-iced with salt, spread over the roads by snowplows or dump trucks. On particularly slippery roads, salt is often mixed with sand and gravel. Sodium chloride (rock salt) is normally used because it is inexpensive and easy to get in large quantities.

As a top quality chemical supplier in Orlando, we look forward to the opportunity to provide your business with quality chemical products like sodium chloride. We have a full-time document coordinator as well as quality inspectors to ensure the accuracy and quality of our chemical orders. Give us a call today at 407-339-BELL (2355).

Menthol crystals are produced naturally through mentha arvensis – the primary species of mint. Mentha Arvensis grows in the Uttar Pradesh region in India. Menthol crystals are cooling, refreshing, and have a strong minty aroma. Menthol crystals are best stored in place with no humidity at a temperature of about 75 degrees Fahrenheit.

Because menthol crystals are very concentrated, only a tiny amount of them is needed within products. Menthol crystals are excellent for use in products that help relieve muscular aches, coughing, congestion, poor hygiene, etc. Menthol is a chemical component in many consumer products including:

•    Non-prescription products for short-term relief of minor sore throat or mouth irritation such as cough drops, oral throat sprays, throat lozenges, and lip balms.
•    Oral hygiene products like mouthwash, toothpaste, and chewing gum.
•    Decongestants for chest and sinus pressure such as Vicks Vaporub and Mentholatum.
•    Perfumes that highlight floral notes (especially the rose scent).

At Bell Chem in Orlando, we offer menthol crystals as one of our chemical products. In addition to nutritional chemical products and personal care raw materials in Orlando, we stock many highly specialized botanical ingredients as well as hard to find technical grade chemicals and custom compounds. Call us at 407-339-BELL (2355) for a full list of products.

Propylene glycol is a colorless and virtually odorless viscous liquid. It does not irritate the skin, but is mildly irritating to the eyes. Propylene glycol has a slightly sweet taste and is approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for certain uses as food additives. Propylene glycol is hygroscopic and very stable. It has a high boiling point and low vapor pressure. Also, propylene glycol has the ability to dissolve other substances and is completely water-soluble.

The properties of propylene glycol make it perfect for a lot of specific uses in many different industries. Propylene glycol has a very broad array of practical applications and is used as a chemical ingredient in many products including anti-freezes, foods, cosmetics products, pharmaceuticals, aircraft de-icing fluids, fragrances, and personal care products.

These are some of the ways propylene glycol is used:
•    As a solvent in pharmaceuticals including oral, inject-able, and topical formulas.
•    As a moisturizer in medicines, cosmetics, food, toothpaste, shampoo, conditioner, pet care products, mouth wash, hair dye, and tobacco products.
•    As an ingredient in massage oils, fragrance oils, hand sanitizers, antibacterial lotions, and saline solutions.
•    To make artificial smoke or fog theatrical productions and firefighter training.
•    As a vaporizable base for diluting the nicotine liquid in electronic cigarettes.
•    As a solvent for food colors and food flavorings.
•    As a wetting agent to determine time needed for paints and coatings to dry.
•    As a lubricant in air conditioning compressors.

As a leading chemical supplier in Orlando, Bell Chem offers quick delivery of any of our hundreds of chemicals on our own fleet of trucks. Propylene glycol is just one of the many chemical products we offer. We also stock a wide variety of other reagent-grade, personal care, nutritional, and water treatment products. Give us a call at 407-339-BELL (2355) to learn more about our products.