Citric Acid The All in One Preserver Cleaner And Balancer

If it wasn't for the Persian alchemist Jabir Ibn Hayyan, we wouldn't have been introduced to the single most important flavoring and preserving agent - Citric Acid, also known as the E330 to the scientific fraternity. Though technically a weak acid, the citric acid has quite a strong presence in food, chemicals and dyes as well as cosmetics and pharmaceuticals industry worldwide. Appearing as a crystalline powder, when left at room temperature, the citric acid belongs to the family of carboxylic acids, though a little stronger than the rest. To the chemists and researchers it is also known as C6H8O7. An intermediate in citric acid cycle, it also has significance in biochemistry, with a notable role to play in the metabolism process of the living beings. Enough has been said about the biological and chemical details of acid, time now for some quick facts! This class of acid though often confused with Vitamin C, it may be important to know that Citric acid has got nothing to do with Vitamin C. You may want to remember the next time you buy lemons in the hope of getting natural Vitamin C supplements, that its actually citric acid that makes its presence felt in these fruits with the sour taste. The C factor can be truly confusing for the commoners who have the least idea about all these particularities. Did you know that Citric Acid, which can be real helpful for absorbing minerals, is sourced from a mold named As per gillus Niger, who takes the cheap corn syrup glucose for its staple diet? And to think of this acid as the most dominating ingredient in our daily intake of soft drinks! The tangy flavor that tingle your taste buds every time you take a sip of your favorite beverage comes from its wacky presence, of course. Next, we come to the usage of Citric Acid in other fields. At this point, it may be important to note that for binding metals there are only few that go above this class of acid. Its role as a chelating agent is well known in the industrial sectors worldwide. This apart, the acid also finds application as a cleaning agent in the manufacturing industries. Boilers and evaporators often suffer from accumulation of scales in the course of time and with constant usage. To get rid of these scales, citric acid is brought into play. Can't think of a possible way to clean your toilet bowl? Well, buy yourself a bottle of any carbonated soft drink and pour it in. Now wait for an hour or so and then flush it off and see the result. It's again the C factor at play here, that too in full form! Citric Acid has the necessary properties that can remove any kind of stain from vitreous china, used for manufacturing toilet essentials. Not only this, Citric Acid can also help remove grease stains from your clothes so that you no more have to do away with your clothes to deal with irremovable and stubborn stains. With an all pervasive presence as seen above, Citric Acid is indeed the most underrated acid in its group, hardly a mention here and there while stalwarts like sulfuric and nitric acid enjoy all the attention - almost like that critically acclaimed actor who is bereft of the much dreamt of mass popularity!