Industrial application

Buffers and industrial applications

Multiple industrial processes rely on buffers, including pharmaceuticals, food and textiles, just to name a few.

Let’s have a look at some examples:

1. Pharmaceutical industries

Many different therapeutic drugs are synthesised under restrict pH conditions to ensure the stability and clinical effectiveness of these treatments. This is usually achieved with buffer solutions. In addition, buffers can be used to:

  • Increase the drug’s shelf-life
  • Maintain the drug in a specific un-ionised or ionised form, depending on the type of solution used. For example, ionised forms tend to be more soluble in water, while un-ionised forms are more soluble in lipids
  • Maintain the drug in a near-neutral pH, this way avoiding any irritation to the body tissues
  • Protect the drug against undesired hydrolysis in aqueous solutions

 

dynamics-ax-pharma-chemie-chemistry

 

2. Fermentation

Fermentation reactions – such as in beer or yogurt – are highly affected by varying pH. This means it’s essential to use buffer solutions to avoid harsh changes and allow fermentation to progress to obtain maximum yield.

For example, in bread, the pH of the dough will naturally drop with the production of CO2 and some other organic acids. In this case, both natural buffers milk and flour, as well as chemical products such as calcium bicarbonate (CaCO3) can be used to limit pH variations during fermentation.

Specialised buffers are also used extensively in the food industry as food additives, in particular to ensure the appearance and flavour of certain food items, as well as delaying any microbiological “invasion”. These additives are usually weak acids or their respective salts already naturally present in some foods.

 

05-23_ProductsOfFerment_L

 
3.Textile and leather industry

The textile and leather industry rely heavily on many different dyes to obtain different colours and textures. The strength of some of these dyes is defined by its pH and drastic changes will affect the colour and how the dye may react to a certain fabric.

For example, monosodium and disodium phosphates are used in textile processing. Monosodium phosphate (MSP) is used in textile manufacturing, where it acts as a low pH buffer for acid dyeing of textile fibers. Disodium phosphate (DSP) is useful as a mild alkali buffer for bleaching and dying fabrics that are sensitive to high pH levels.

 

dyeing

 
4. Other industries

There are many other industries where buffers play a vital role:

  • Manufacture of glue: properties of some ingredients used in the manufacture of glue, such as gelatine, change significantly even within minute alterations in pH. Buffers are used to avoid these changes.
  • Electroplating: Plating of some alloys can only be successfully completed if pH is kept under narrow limits
  • Printing: In a similar way to the textile industry, buffers are used during printing to ensure the ink maintains its normal properties. Incorrect pH may affect how the ink penetrates and dries on the paper, altering the final result.
  • Commercial Profuct: Buffers are also important in certain commercial household products. Shampoo, for example, contains buffers of citric acid and sodium hydroxide, which work to balance out the natural alkalinity of soap, which would otherwise burn the scalp when it gets too alkaline. At the same time, most shampoos are also made slightly acidic, to keep the cuticle smooth and lying flat on the hair shaft. If you have a baby, you’ve probably noticed that applying baby lotion to his rash relieves it rather quickly. This is because baby lotion is buffered to a slightly acidic pH of six, which inhibits the growth of bacteria and other pathogens.



Other implications to society: 

(Click on each of these to dwell into the specific implication of buffers to society) 
1. Buffers in Nature
2. Buffers in Human Body
 

 

References:

  1. http://environmental-realm.blogspot.sg/2012/04/importance-of-buffers-in-physiological.html
  2. http://www.thechemicalblog.co.uk/buffers-in-our-daily-life/
  3. http://sci-toys.com/ingredients/shampoo.html

Pictures:

  1. http://en.sycor-group.com/.content/imagegalleries/pics/dynamics-ax-pharma-chemie-chemistry.jpg?__scale=cx:0,cy:71,cw:995,ch:558,w:580,h:325
  2. http://academic.pgcc.edu/~kroberts/Lecture/Chapter%205/05-23_ProductsOfFerment_L.jpg
  3. http://www.businessnonstop.in/files/2014/08/dyeing.jpg