Where Dibasic Ester May Be a Safer Alternative

Dibasic ester – also referred to as DBE, dimethyl ester, or DME – is often understood to be a better, safer alternative than other solvents. Bell Chem, your industrial chemical supplier, explains why your company should invest in clear, colorless, low-odor dibasic esters for your solvent needs.

Low Vapor Pressure and High Flash Point

Dibasic esters have an extremely slow evaporation rate, which complies with volatile organic compounds (VOC) regulations. This feature allows dibasic esters the ability to be recycled for multiple applications. Dibasic ester is also much less likely than other chemicals to combust. Less flammability equates to a safer product.

Biodegradable

The environment is a foremost concern for many companies. Knowing DBE biodegrades into environmentally friendly by-products while remaining cost-effective helps solidify its place in many forward-thinking businesses. 

Health

DME is not only environmentally friendly; it is people friendly. Dibasic ester is considered non-carcinogenic, non-corrosive, and non-hazardous. It is also on the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) list of safer chemicals. 

Varied Formulations

Dimethyl ester combines several chemicals, namely dimethyl adipate, dimethyl glutarate, and dimethyl succinate. Depending on your application, these ingredients can be manipulated for the perfect custom blend for your use. For example, it can be used as a solvent with a strong capacity to strip paint with a slower evaporation rate than other chemicals. Some formulations can also be greener than others.

Uses of Dibasic Ester

Dibasic esters have the ability to dissolve polar substances (such as polyester, resins and polyurethane), inks, and coatings. A few examples of products containing DBEs are insecticides and pesticides, automotive coatings, paints, epoxy sealers, cleaners, corrosion inhibitors, drilling fluids, and soil stabilizers. Almost any other solvent can be substituted with a dibasic ester.

If your company is in the market for a solvent that’s friendly to the environment, equipment, and your workforce, dibasic ester is your answer. If your company wants a solvent to dissolve hardened residues, form a coalescent, dissolve at different rates, and create plasticizers for polymer systems such as PVC with ease, your answer, once again, is dibasic ester.

Bell Chem is an industrial chemical supplier based in Longwood, FL (just north of Orlando) with hundreds of products stocked in their 50,000+ square-foot warehouse, including dibasic ester. You can expect the highest quality products, expedited shipping options for maximum efficiency, and unrivaled personalized customer service. Let our knowledgeable and friendly customer service representatives and accounting staff personalize all your needs by either calling 407-339-BELL (2355) or by sending us an online message.

Medical Uses of Zinc Oxide

Zinc oxide is recognizable to many as the white sunscreen smeared on the noses of lifeguards, but this remarkable chemical continues to fascinate as scientists develop new methods of utilizing its properties. Bell Chem, your industrial ingredient supplier, wants you to know the latest on zinc oxide and its role in the medical world. 

Nanoparticles

Zinc oxide nanoparticles have a short history – only around 20 years – but the sheer amount of uses discovered within that time is astonishing. Nanoparticles are microscopically small bits of zinc oxide. These tiny particles are easy for the body to utilize. When used in this form, zinc oxide is able to treat diseases like diabetes and cancer, as well as deter bacteria while maintaining its biocompatible status. 

Common Uses

Some of the most common uses for zinc oxide are for its anti-inflammatory and ultraviolet reflection benefits. Inflammation is a response to a pathogen, but inflammation is often painful and many people experience inflammatory responses outside the norm. Zinc oxide is able to bring down the level of inflammation, which reduces pain and increases blood flow. 

Many sunscreens on the market are chemical barriers, which may lead to UV rays being internalized through the skin and causing cellular damage. Zinc oxide, on the other hand, is a physical barrier that reflects UV light and prevents it from reaching the skin. 

Hospital Settings

Zinc oxide has a 3,000-year history of wound treatment and healing of soft tissue injuries. Applied directly to wounds and burns, zinc oxide attracts new epidermal cells to critical areas, establishes blood flow to those affected areas, which expedites the healing process and reduces complications related to wounds. One surprising characteristic of zinc oxide nanoparticles is their luminescence, which helps with bioimaging. When recorded on imaging film, zinc oxide glows where the body has stockpiled it.

Disease Treatment

The binding property of zinc oxide aids in transporting life-saving drugs throughout the body in a less-toxic manner than other methods at a fraction of the cost of other treatments. Zinc oxide targets uncontrolled cancer cells without the dangerous side effects of chemotherapy and radiation. Zinc oxide is biodegradable as well as biocompatible. Add the drug delivery factor, and zinc oxide can carry cancer drugs to specific sites within the body as it takes on the cancer cells. Zinc oxide also helps treat diabetes when it binds insulin to keep it structurally stable, aiding in the secretion of insulin from the pancreas. Zinc oxide also has a part in insulin synthesis, secretion, and storage.   

The body has a delicate balance of reactive oxygen species (ROS) performing vital functions, such as cellular signaling and homeostasis. Excess ROS is a different story, however, since great numbers of ROS damage DNA. Scientists have determined zinc oxide will seek out cells with excess ROS and cause these cells to undergo apoptosis (cell death). This same function affects bacteria similarly. With all of these amazing benefits and more still to be discovered, Zinc oxide has been a huge help to the ever-evolving medical field.

Bell Chem is the industrial ingredient supplier based in Longwood, FL (just north of Orlando) with hundreds of products stocked in their 50,000+ square-foot warehouse, zinc oxide. You can expect the highest quality products, expedited shipping options for maximum efficiency, and unrivaled personalized customer service. Let our knowledgeable and friendly customer service representatives and accounting staff personalize all your needs by either calling 407-339-BELL (2355) or by sending us an online message.

Copper Sulfate in Organic Agriculture

Much as the name predicts, copper sulfate (CuSO4)2 is an inorganic compound of copper and sulfate. This useful chemical stocked by industrial ingredient supplier Bell Chem is renowned for its use in pesticides, bactericides, and fungicides. 

What is Copper Sulfate?

Copper sulfate has a litany of common names, such as basic copper sulfate (BSC), BSC copper fungicide, CP basic sulfate, and tribasic copper sulfate. In its stone (pentahydrate) form, it carries the monikers of blue vitriol or blue stone because of its vibrant color. Chemically it is copper (II) sulfate or copper (II) tetraoxosulphate, depending on its chemical form. 

Benefits of Copper Sulfate in Agriculture

Copper sulfate has long been recognized as an agricultural aid to deter the growth of bacteria and fungus, primarily on fruits and vegetables. Copper sulfate binds to and denatures the proteins of algae and fungi to the point of cell death. Tropical and subtropical climates often experience snail and slug damage to crops. The application of copper sulfate as snail bait prevents these animals from damaging crops. 

Varying dosages of copper sulfate also control unwanted plant growth, and destroy roots of invasive plants. A Bordeaux mixture combines lime and water (calcium hydroxide) and copper sulfate. When applied to seeds before planting, this mixture prevents fungal infestation. Added to the soil, Bordeaux enriches soil and stimulates plant growth. 

Uses in Organic Agriculture

Knowing this, how does copper sulfate tie into organic agriculture? According to Brian Baker of the Organic Materials Research Institute, most chemicals found naturally occurring (not synthetically manufactured) are acceptable for organic farming and agriculture. In fact, used separately, sulfur and copper are the two top disease-control chemicals for organic crops. To be deemed organic, no accumulation of copper must exist in the soil; it must be taken up by the plants it protects.

Diving deeper, organic agriculture is on the rise since its “rebirth” in England approximately 100 years ago after the industrial revolution commercialized pesticides and herbicides. This created  powerful products that, unbeknownst to most farmers at the time, negatively impacted plants, soil, and the health of those consuming the products. 

Organic farming focuses on soil management, weed control, and pest eradication. This method is more than farming without the use of synthetic chemicals. Organic farmers use techniques recognized centuries ago as helpful to crop growth: crop rotation, soil amending, planting cover crops, mixing farms with livestock for natural fertilization and pest control, and focusing research on the biological health of farmland. 

Bell Chem’s inventory includes an abundance of natural and organic additives and chemicals for agriculture and beyond.  

Bell Chem is an industrial ingredient supplier based in Longwood, FL (just north of Orlando) with hundreds of products stocked in their 50,000+ square-foot warehouse, including copper sulfate. You can expect the highest quality products, expedited shipping options for maximum efficiency, and unrivaled personalized customer service. Let our knowledgeable and friendly customer service representatives and accounting staff personalize all your needs by either calling 407-339-BELL (2355) or by sending us an online message.

Industrial Uses of Hydrated Lime

Industrial ingredient supplier Bell Chem’s hydrated lime (calcium hydroxide) is used across industries in myriad functions. Many customers wonder about the difference between quicklime and hydrated lime: hydrated lime and quicklime differ in reactivity, with quicklime (calcium oxide) being more reactive. Hydrated lime is simply quicklime with water added to convert oxides to hydroxides before the product is baked and pulverized (a process known as “slaking”). It is considered calcium hydroxide, or hydrated lime, at that time, although it is also known as slack lime, builders’ lime, or pickling lime. 

Hydrated lime is available in several strengths. The specific hydrated lime depends on the catalysts utilized and the type of quicklime. High calcium hydrated lime contains 72%-74% calcium oxide; dolomitic hydrated lime contains 46%-48% calcium oxide and 33%-34% magnesium oxide; and dolomitic hydrated lime (pressurized) combines 40%-42% calcium oxide with 29%-30% magnesium oxide. The remaining percentages are all water.

 Uses of hydrated lime are many and varied, including:

• Steel manufacturing: The largest scale use of lime is in the steel industry, where hydrated lime neutralizes impurities in plants where coke is a by-product. Steel plates are often sheathed in hydrated lime since it acts as an effective short-term barrier to oxygen corrosion.

• Chemical manufacturing: A variety of chemicals are manufactured with hydrated lime as a basic component. Included are bromide, caustic soda, fluoride, magnesia, lactate, nitrate, oleate, and stearate. Many organic and inorganic calcium salts, such as calcium carbide, calcium hypochlorite, calcium magnesium acetate, and calcium phosphate, begin production with hydrated lime. Hydrated lime also plays a role in citric acid purification.

• Flue gas treatment: Hydrated lime catalyzes particles emanated after combustion in cement plants, coal fire plants, glass industries, and other incendiary plants. Acidic pollutants normally released into the environment, such as hydrogen fluoride, hydrogen chloride, sulfur dioxide, selenium, and fine particulate matter are captured by hydrated lime’s anions, eventually rendering them into calcium sulfate.

• Sugar production: Both cane and beet sugar rely on hydrated lime to react with impurities and elevate pH. Hydrated lime also removes impurities in the manufacture of maple syrup, sorghum, or other viscous forms of sugar. Carbonation before the final product is packaged removes excess lime.

• Acid reduction: As milk is separated into cream and skimmed milk, lime water is added to the cream portion prior to producing butter to reduce the acid content. Lime added to the remaining milk produces either lactic acid, when combined with a low pH chemical, or calcium lactate, a boon for medicinal supplements.

• Baking powder creation: Baking powder (monocalcium phosphate) is a reaction of phosphoric acid with high calcium lime. 

• Masonry binding: Hydrated lime is used to bind with sand to form plaster and stucco. Adding 15% hydrated lime to cement significantly reduces shrinkage and cracking. Road and building foundations, earthen dams, and airfields all rely on hydrated lime. 

• Paint formation: Limewash painting is achieved when water and pigment are added to hydrated lime to form a paste-like consistency before it is applied. 

• Soil amending: Adding basic hydrated lime to acidic soil stabilizes the pH for superior plant growth.

Bell Chem is an industrial ingredient supplier based in Longwood, FL (just north of Orlando) with hundreds of products stocked in their 50,000+ square-foot warehouse, including hydrated lime. You can expect the highest quality products, expedited shipping options for maximum efficiency, and unrivaled personalized customer service. Let our knowledgeable and friendly customer service representatives and accounting staff personalize all your needs by either calling 407-339-BELL (2355) or by sending us an online message.

Glycerin Use Across Industries

Glycerol has long been recognized as an important ingredient in health and beauty products. However, it has dozens of other roles across industries, and scientists are striving to discover even more functions for this amazing product. Industrial ingredient supplier Bell Chem stocks 99.5% glycerin for all industries. 

Medication

To replicate the sweet flavor found in food and beverages, the pharmaceutical industry adds vegetable glycerin to cough syrup and throat lozenges. Medications with glycerin in their lists of ingredients include suppositories, cough medications, gel capsules, ear drops and eyewashes. Patients with glaucoma use ophthalmic drops containing glycerin to reduce dangerous intraocular pressure. During surgery, glycerin may be administered to reduce brain pressure. Physicians also prescribe glycerin products to patients undergoing colonoscopies or ocular surgery. 

Biodiesel

Glycerin had a darker side for a few decades as the main waste component of biodiesel. Nearly 10% of manufactured biodiesel is crude glycerin. Unlike refined glycerin used in pharmaceuticals and foods, crude glycerin was simply waste. It was too time and labor intensive to refine it, and the sheer amount of biodiesel produced created an abundance of crude glycerin. This byproduct of a growing industry perplexed scientists, and has led to countless experiments to utilize this growing reserve. Now livestock producers are using glycerol, also known as glycerin, in animal feed, so cows and other cattle benefit from its energy when glycerol is used as a feedstock for biological chemical synthesis.

Other Products

Aside from the uses listed here, glycerin has proven useful in a variety of other products including the following: 

• Glycerin is renowned for its syrupy viscosity, which is why manufacturers use it in plumping bakery products. Glycerin’s high viscosity also leads to its inclusion in liqueurs, topical creams, oral care products, and toothpaste.

• Smooth, slippery soap owes much of its texture to glycerin. Since it is also added to bubble-blowing solutions, it is safe to say glycerin helps create both large and small suds. 

• In textile manufacturing, glycerin may be used in dyeing fabric because of its viscosity, hygroscopic properties, and its ability to penetrate fabric and suspend dyes. Surprisingly, glycerin also finds a role in reducing static cling in textiles.

Future Uses

Glycerin has already proved itself in the health and beauty sector, the medical field, and more. We expect to see even more evolution of this versatile chemical as time goes on. Promising future industrial use includes the biosynthesis of citric acid from crude glycerin, possible hydrogen fuel production, and its use as an alternative to polymer petrochemicals.  

The future is promising for glycerin, and Bell Chem wants to ensure its customers have the supply of glycerin they require. Bell Chem is your industrial ingredient supplier based in Longwood, FL (just north of Orlando) with hundreds of products stocked in their 50,000+ square-foot warehouse, including 99.5% glycerin. You can expect the highest quality products, expedited shipping options for maximum efficiency, and unrivaled personalized customer service. Let our knowledgeable and friendly customer service representatives and accounting staff personalize all your needs by either calling 407-339-BELL (2355) or by sending us an online message.

The Many Uses of Baking Soda

Sodium bicarbonate is a ubiquitous part of every food and beverage industry’s supply closet, but this versatile chemical from your industrial ingredient supplier Bell Chem has uses across industries. Known commonly as baking soda and chemically as NaHCO3, baking soda enables uses for stabilization of pH and neutralization of acids, and other aspects of its chemical makeup give it qualities that render it popular in factories and companies worldwide. 

While many products boast the ability to mask odors with a flowery or less pungent odor, baking soda chemically neutralizes odors. For this reason you will find baking soda in kitty litter, bath salts, body powders, and deodorants. Many basic chemicals are neutralized when an acid is present, creating a more stable pH while compromising the base. In contrast, baking soda retains its pH of 8.1 as it raises the pH levels of acids within a solution. 

Pharmaceutical products find uses for baking soda as an ingredient and curative. Combining baking soda’s easily compressible nature — it tabletizes into recognizable round discs — with its ability to neutralize acids, baking soda is a primary ingredient in chewable antacids. 

Another nifty effect of using baking soda is the saponification of grease and fat into a by-product easily dissolved in water. Many cleaning products and grease eradicators list baking soda as an ingredient. As we know, baking soda and kitchens are inseparable. Refrigerators rely on an open box to absorb odors, and chefs use baking soda as a leavening agent for baked goods in everything from apple loaves to ziti. Add a simple acid such as lemon juice to baking soda along with other ingredients and the result is a carbon dioxide-infused food that will release CO2 as it bakes, creating a light, airy bakery item.

This release of carbon dioxide does more than make bread rise, though. The use of baking soda in fire extinguishers is well studied. Because CO2 is released from baking soda, it chemically impedes the existence of oxygen in an area. Without oxygen, fires are quickly smothered. This same release of carbon dioxide is used in the manufacture of rubbers and plastics, since it is ideal at the moment plastic and rubber are molded.

The slightly abrasive crystalline structure of baking soda is often added to cleaners for soft or sensitive industrial surfaces. This same quality in facial cleansers and toothpaste aid in removing grease, dirt, and plaque easily and painlessly. Baking soda added to a high-pressure hose cleans buildings, removes debris, and can strip coatings from most surfaces. Textiles such as wool, silk, and leather use baking soda as a pH balancer and catalyst for chemical reactions. While many of the reactions would occur naturally for these textiles, baking soda expedites the process.

Learn more about our chemicals by reading our blogs. Bell Chem is your industrial ingredient supplier based in Longwood, FL (just north of Orlando) with hundreds of products stocked in their 50,000+ square-foot warehouse, including baking soda. You can expect the highest quality products, expedited shipping options for maximum efficiency, and unrivaled personalized customer service. Let our knowledgeable and friendly customer service representatives and accounting staff personalize all your needs by either calling 407-339-BELL (2355) or by sending us an online message.

Caustic Cleaners

Caustic cleaners have been in existence for millenia. In fact, evidence of soap fragments found in ancient dwellings has been dated to around 2800 BC! Industrial ingredient supplier Bell Chem stocks a variety of caustic cleaners, such as CSAN 2170 Caustic Blend (Proprietary Blend) for your cleaning needs. 

These types of cleaners contain caustic soda (sodium hydroxide), potassium hydroxide, or caustic potash. Most caustic cleaners are utilized to remove protein-based debris. These chemicals are defined by their ability to dissolve other substances – think of bleach, which contains sodium hydroxide. Caustic cleaners are generally sold as solids in a granular, pellet, or flake form, or as a concentrated liquid. 

With their ability to significantly change the pH of the areas they contact, caustic cleaners are often used as disinfectants. Bacteria, fungi, yeasts, viruses, and endotoxins are virtually eradicated with caustic cleaners. Here are some of the common uses:

• Caustic cleaners are used worldwide within industries such as hospitals, restaurants, food and beverage industries, and processing plants. 

• Oven cleaners and drain cleaners often contain caustic chemicals where they hydrolyze solid fats and act as a reagent as they cause a chemical reaction called saponification. The chemical bonds of protein-based products are broken apart to quickly remove them from solid surfaces or industrial machinery.

• Industrial plants that focus on meat-packing rely heavily on caustic cleaners to maintain their machinery and keep their workplaces clean. Caustic cleaners are effective and efficient, saving money and resources.

• Hand soap contains either sodium hydroxide (commonly referred to as “lye”) or potassium hydroxide as a main ingredient. Sodium hydroxide creates a harder bar soap while potassium hydroxide produces a creamy, liquid soap.

Because of their power, caustic cleaners also have risks. Use caution with caustic cleaners; the ability to break down proteins causes them to irritate the skin and mucous membranes, meaning they can produce severe burns on the skin and, when inhaled, in the lungs. Always use properly fitting goggles when handling any caustic chemicals since eye irritation could lead to blindness. Read all chemical labels and MSD guides to fully understand the proper handling and use of caustic cleaners and all other chemicals.

Bell Chem is an industrial ingredient supplier based in Longwood, FL (just north of Orlando) with hundreds of products stocked in their 50,000+ square-foot warehouse, including CSANTM sanitation products. You can expect the highest quality products, expedited shipping options for maximum efficiency, and unrivaled personalized customer service. Let our knowledgeable and friendly customer service representatives and accounting staff personalize all your needs by either calling 407-339-BELL (2355) or by sending us an online message.

BC Surfactant NP-9

In order to discuss the merits of industrial ingredient supplier Bell Chem’s Surfactant NP-9 (Nonylphenol Ethoxylate), it is important to break down the individual portions of its name to determine what exactly this versatile chemical is capable of performing for your industry.  

First, a surfactant is a chemical that reduces the surface tension of the solvent in which it is placed. Without surface tension, any additional chemicals are absorbed within the liquid much more easily and rapidly. Dye added to a fabric tends to mottle the area in which it was initially placed. Adding a surfactant spreads the dye more evenly throughout the liquid, thereby giving the fabric an even color.

The number ‘9’ within the product’s name focuses on bond placement. NP-9 means the structure of BC Surfactant NP-9 contains a chain of 9 carbon molecules for its tail. A molecule’s shape is important since different forms give rise to different functions. For NP-9, its structure gives it the ability to be both hydrophilic and hydrophobic, depending on the direction of the molecule. This aids in removing water from some areas while adding water to others, leveling the wetness distribution.

Nonylphenol ethoxylates are metabolites of alkylphenol ethoxylates. They are light orange in color, fading to almost clear in liquid form. Because they are nonionic (they hold no charge), they work well in “hard” water. Their non-charged molecules are resistant to being deactivated in water containing strong metals, such as magnesium or calcium. Therefore, nonylphenol ethoxylates are generally used in detergents, dishwashing, laundry and on kitchen or bathroom fixtures that are in repeated contact with hard water. They quickly snag and surround substances with oil or grease bases, removing them from fabric, pipes or porcelain to be washed away.

BC Surfactant NP-9 has uses across industries. It is regularly found in the following products as a surfactant:

• paints and wood finishes

• personal hygiene products 

• lawn care products

• pesticides

• drain cleaners

• laundry detergents

• metal working

Find more about BC Surfactant NP-9 and other chemicals in Bell Chem’s vast inventory by visiting our website. Bell Chem is a sanitation chemical supplier based in Longwood, FL (just north of Orlando) with hundreds of products stocked in their 50,000+ square-foot warehouse, including CSANTM sanitation products. You can expect the highest quality products, expedited shipping options for maximum efficiency, and unrivaled personalized customer service. Let our knowledgeable and friendly customer service representatives and accounting staff personalize all your needs by either calling 407-339-BELL (2355) or by sending us an online message.

Industry Uses of Sodium Nitrate

Sodium nitrate (NaNO3) is a well-known ingredient in the manufacture of pyrotechnics and fertilizers. Known commercially as nitrate of soda, Chile saltpeter, or soda niter, sodium nitrate is a crystalline compound with no odor or color. Its price and reliability raise it above other chemicals in its class, and industrial ingredient supplier Bell Chem has technical grade sodium nitrate available to serve your business needs.

As an Explosive
Explosives and sodium nitrate have a long history together. Sodium nitrate is inexpensive, non-toxic, non-poisonous, and stable, which gives it advantages over other additives in the black powder used in pyrotechnics and smoke bombs. The slow burn rate of sodium nitrate makes it ideal as a solid rocket propellant.

As a Fertilizer
As a fertilizer, sodium nitrate acts as a storage vessel for nitrogen. Nitrogen stimulates overall plant growth, giving fullness to leaves, stems, and roots. Lack of nitrogen stunts plant growth while excess nitrogen can deter flower and fruit growth. Sodium nitrate used as a fertilizer rushes nitrogen to plant roots to stimulate processing throughout the plant’s vascular system.

As a Preservative
Sodium nitrate acts as a processed meat preservative, especially in meats containing a red hue. For instance, hot dogs, deli meats, and ham contain sodium nitrate to prevent bacterial colonization, which spoils meats rapidly. Country ham, which has an extremely long aging process, relies on sodium nitrate as a long-term stabilizer. The pharmaceutical industry also uses sodium nitrate as a preservative, sometimes adding it in eye drops and in medicines as a control compound since it contains nitrogen.

As an Enamel
The tough, shiny outer coating of glass and pottery enamel is often due to sodium nitrate. Immersion in a sodium nitrate bath increases textile strength. This chemically strengthened glass is installed in aircraft canopies to give pilots the optical clarity they desire while providing tensile strength to their quarters. For this same reason, the molten glass used in high-quality eyewear manufacture is also tempered with sodium nitrate.

Contact Bell Chem, the industrial ingredient supplier based in Longwood (just north of Orlando) with hundreds of products stocked in their 50,000+ square-foot warehouse. You can expect the highest quality products, expedited shipping options for maximum efficiency, and unrivaled personalized customer service. Let our knowledgeable and friendly customer service representatives and accounting staff personalize all your needs by either calling 407-339-BELL (2355) or by sending us an online message.