Uses of Gluconic Acid
- Gluconic acid is used for industrial cleaning, textile bleach stabilizing, aluminium processing, and as a chelating agent in cement set retarding.
- It is also used for metal surface treatment, cleaning products, personal care products, pharmaceuticals, and as a food additive.
- Calcium gluconate is used in the treatment of patients with hypocalcemia, and its gel is used in the treatment of burns from hydrofluoric acid.
- Quinine gluconate which is a salt of gluconic acid and quinine is used in the treatment of malaria.
- Ferrous gluconate, or iron (II) gluconate, injections have been proposed in the past to treat anaemia, which occurs due to iron deficiency.
- The gluconic acid aqueous solution is used as a medium for organic synthesis.
Gluconic Acid Formula
Gluconic acid is an organic compound that is also termed Dextronic acid and is one of the 16 stereoisomers of 2,3,4,5,6-pentahydroxyhexanoic acid. Its IUPAC name is D-Gluconic acid, and it has a molecular formula of C6H12O7. It is a non-toxic compound that can be found in honey, wine, fruits, etc. It appears as a colourless to light yellow, clear, syrupy liquid and has a mild acid taste. It is very soluble in water, slightly soluble in alcohol, and insoluble in ether and many other organic solvents. It was first discovered by Hlasiwetz and Habermann in 1870, through the chemical oxidation of glucose. In the presence of the cyclic ester glucono-delta-lactone, gluconic acid exists in equilibrium in an aqueous solution. The salts of gluconic acid are called gluconates, where a gluconate ion is formed by gluconic acid in an aqueous solution at neutral pH. Gluconic acid, gluconate salts, and gluconate esters are abundant in nature as they can be produced by the oxidation of glucose. In an alkaline solution, the gluconate anion chelates Ca2+, Fe2+, Al3+, and other metals, including lanthanides and actinides.