Sodium gluconate — C6H11NaO7, CAS 527-07-1 — is the sodium salt of gluconic acid, a white crystalline powder that is freely soluble in water. Two uses account for most of the technical-grade demand: as a set retarder and water-reducing raw material in concrete admixtures, and as a chelating agent that stays effective in strongly alkaline solutions, which is why it appears in bottle-washing and CIP cleaning formulations. Supreme Petro Chemicals imports sodium gluconate in Technical Grade, holds stock at its Redhills warehouse in Chennai and dispatches across South India. This guide covers what the grade is for, which numbers to read on a Certificate of Analysis (CoA), and what to state on an enquiry.
What is technical-grade sodium gluconate?
The CAS number 527-07-1 identifies the sodium salt; gluconic acid itself is a different listing, CAS 526-95-4. On GST invoices the HSN code is 2918 16 00.
The same chemical is traded in more than one grade. The grade we supply is Technical Grade (industrial), imported from Shandong Fuyang Bio-Tech Co., Ltd. in China, with an assay of 98.0 – 102.0%. We are a trader and distributor: the material is made by the manufacturer named on the CoA, not by us. Our Safety Data Sheet states that this grade is not supplied for food use (see the grade section below).
Where is it used?
Concrete admixtures and ready-mix
In concrete, sodium gluconate is used as a set retarder and as a water-reducing raw material for concrete admixtures. The mechanism is described in published laboratory work. A 2023 study on ultra-high-performance concrete, Effect of Sodium Gluconate on Properties and Microstructure of UHPC (Materials), reports that sodium gluconate slows cement hydration by adsorbing on cement particles and by complexing calcium ions, which prolongs the induction period and so the time the mix stays workable. The same study found an auxiliary plasticising effect when used with a superplasticiser.
The study also shows why dosage cannot be copied from a table. At 0.15% in its mix, the initial and final setting times were about 5.0 and 4.5 times those of the blank, at 0.12% and above the mix had not fully set and had no strength at 1 day, and the authors recommend 0.03 – 0.09% for that mix. Those percentages belong to that study's mix, not to yours. The right dose depends on your cement, mix design, temperature and the other admixtures, and is set by trial batches. We do not publish dose rates.
In India, IS 9103:1999 is the Bureau of Indian Standards specification for concrete admixtures; it covers retarding and water-reducing admixtures among other types and judges an admixture by its performance against a control concrete. If you sell finished admixtures, the performance of your blend against that standard is yours to demonstrate; the raw material is one input to it. If you also blend a lignosulphonate-based water reducer, see sodium ligno sulphonate.
Alkaline cleaning, bottle washing and CIP
Hot caustic cleaning baths need a chelating agent to hold calcium and magnesium in solution so scale does not deposit on bottles, tanks and washer parts. Sodium gluconate is used because it remains effective at high pH. A US patent on anti-etch bottle-washing solutions (US 5849095) names gluconic acid or its salts among the chelants it uses and states that the chelating agent must not be EDTA or NTA, because both promote glass etching. The buyer here is usually the cleaning-chemical formulator rather than the dairy, brewery or bottler. For a different chelating agent, see our EDTA range.
Other uses we list
- Metal surface treatment and derusting baths.
- Textile dyeing and desizing as an auxiliary.
- Water treatment: scale and corrosion inhibition.
These are the applications recorded on our product page. Whether the material suits your own process is a trial and specification decision for your QA team.
Specifications to check on a CoA
These are the specification limits for our Technical Grade, taken from the manufacturer's Certificate of Analysis. They are limits, not results for a particular lot: the CoA for the lot you receive carries that lot's measured values, so compare those against the limits below.
| Parameter | Unit | Specification limit |
|---|---|---|
| Description | — | White crystalline powder |
| Whiteness (457 nm) | % | 75 min |
| Assay | % | 98.0 – 102.0 |
| pH | — | 6.2 – 7.8 |
| Loss on drying | % | 0.3 max |
| Reducing substances | % | 0.4 max |
| Chloride | % | 0.07 max |
| Sulphate | % | 0.05 max |
| Heavy metals | mg/kg | 5 max |
| Lead | mg/kg | 1 max |
| Arsenic | mg/kg | 1 max |
Which lines matter depends on the use. Assay and loss on drying matter to concrete admixture blenders: the first is the active content, the second the moisture that comes with it. Cleaning-chemical formulators also read pH, chloride and sulphate. Plating and metal-finishing users who care about metals read the heavy-metals, lead and arsenic limits. State on your enquiry which lines your specification needs, and ask for the CoA for the lot supplied.
Technical grade is not food grade
Sodium gluconate is also traded as a food additive, E576, in other grades with their own specifications and paperwork. Our Technical Grade is not supplied for food use, and nothing on this page suggests otherwise. If your end product is a food, beverage, pharmaceutical or personal-care product, say so before you enquire so you are not quoted a grade that does not fit.
Packing, storage and handling
- Packaging: 25 kg bags.
- Shelf life: 24 months from manufacture in sealed bags.
- Storage: original closed bags in a cool, dry, well-ventilated area, off the floor and away from moisture and direct sunlight. The powder is hygroscopic and cakes if exposed to humidity.
- Transport: not classified as a dangerous good under ADR, IMDG or IATA; no UN number.
- Dust: fine powder can form a dust cloud in confined spaces, so control dust when tipping bags, and note that spilled material is slippery when wet.
- Incompatibilities: keep away from strong oxidising agents and strong acids; avoid prolonged contact with aluminium in wet alkaline conditions.
- Origin and supply: imported from Shandong, China; stocked at our Redhills, Chennai warehouse, with dispatch across South India.
The Safety Data Sheet is the authority on handling. Read it before the material reaches your stores.
Documents we provide
The product page carries the Technical Data Sheet (TDS) and Safety Data Sheet (SDS) for download, with the specification table above in full. For a lot-specific record, ask for the Certificate of Analysis when you enquire. For the difference between these documents, see how to read an SDS.
What to state on a bulk enquiry
- Quantity per dispatch and expected frequency.
- Packaging preference (our standard pack is 25 kg bags).
- Delivery location.
- Your application (concrete admixture, cleaning formulation, textile, water treatment, metal finishing) so the right documents go with the quote.
- Any specification lines you will check, and whether you need the lot CoA.
FAQ
What is the CAS number and HSN code for sodium gluconate?
CAS 527-07-1; HSN code 2918 16 00. The formula is C6H11NaO7. Quote the CAS number and the grade (Technical) on purchase orders to avoid confusion with gluconic acid (CAS 526-95-4) or food-grade material.
How much sodium gluconate do I add to concrete?
There is no single figure. Dosage depends on your cement, mix design, temperature and other admixtures, and is fixed by trial batches. Published work shows that too much prolongs setting sharply and cuts early strength, so start from a trial or your admixture supplier's guidance, not a general number.
Is sodium gluconate a dangerous good for transport?
No. It is not classified as a dangerous good under ADR, IMDG or IATA and carries no UN number. Store it dry in closed bags, because it is hygroscopic.
Can I use your sodium gluconate in food or pharma products?
No. We supply Technical Grade only, and our SDS states it is not supplied for food use. Food and pharmaceutical use needs a grade with its own specification and documentation.
Sources
- Effect of Sodium Gluconate on Properties and Microstructure of Ultra-High-Performance Concrete (UHPC), Materials (Basel), 2023: full text on PubMed Central.
- US patent 5,849,095, anti-etch bottle-washing solution.
- Bureau of Indian Standards, IS 9103:1999, Concrete admixtures (PDF).
- PubChem, sodium gluconate and gluconic acid (formula and CAS numbers).
- Specification limits, packing, storage and transport statements: manufacturer's Certificate of Analysis and Supreme Petro Chemicals TDS and SDS for this product.
Source Sodium Gluconate in Chennai
For Technical Grade sodium gluconate in 25 kg bags, use the enquiry form on the product page, visit our contact page, or WhatsApp an enquiry to Sudarshan Bohra, who handles this line. Share the quantity, delivery location and application, and we will confirm the current stock position and dispatch timing for your order.
Last reviewed 5 October 2026. First published. The mechanism and dosage points rest on one published study and one patent, cited above, not on SPC test work.