Table 2.
Specifications for aluminium sodium sulphate E 521 according to Commission Regulation (EU) No 231/2012a
| Commission Regulation (EU) No 231/2012 | |
|---|---|
| Definition | EINECS (EC) No: 233‐277‐3 |
| Chemical name: aluminium sodium sulphate | |
| Chemical formula: AlNa(SO4)2∙nH2O (n = 0 or 12) | |
| Molecular weight (g/mol): 242.09 (anhydrous) | |
| Assay: content on the anhydrous basis not less than 96.5% (anhydrous) and 99.5% (dodecahydrate) | |
| Description | Transparent crystals or white crystalline powder |
| Identification | Test for aluminium: passes test |
| Test for sodium: passes test | |
| Test for sulphate: passes test | |
| Solubility: dodecahydrate is freely soluble in water; the anhydrous form is slowly soluble in water; both forms are insoluble in ethanol | |
| Purity |
Loss on drying: anhydrous form: not more than 10.0% (220°C, 16 h) dodecahydrate: not more than 47.2% (50–55°C, 1 h, then 200°C, 16 h) |
| Ammonium salts: no odour of ammonia detectable after heating | |
| Selenium: not more than 30 mg/kg | |
| Fluoride: not more than 30 mg/kg | |
| Arsenic: not more than 3 mg/kg | |
| Lead: not more than 5 mg/kg | |
| Mercury: not more than 1 mg/kg |
a
The chemical was evaluated by JECFA in 1978 (WHO Technical Report Series 631, 1978); however, the evaluation was later withdrawn (WHO, 2018)b.