Sodium Acetate Trihydrate

Sodium acetate trihydrate is a hydrated, meaning water-containing, salt compound commonly used both industrially and in home chemical applications, while sodium acetate is a salt in its own right, the salt tends to combine with water from the air, leading to formation of the trihydrate.

Sodium acetate trihydrate consists of three separate chemical components--sodium, acetate and water--only one of which is actually chemically reactive. Sodium and water don't engage in chemical reactions in which sodium acetate trihydrate participates, but the acetate portion of the molecule is a weak base, and can be used to make buffer solutions. Sodium acetate Tri hydrate which is similar in chemical properties with sodium acetate is used in photography and as reagent in anal.