Sodium borohydride, also known as sodium tetrahydridroborate and sodium tetrahydroborate, is an inorganic compound with the formula NaBH4. This white solid, usually encountered as a powder, is a reducing agent that finds application in chemistry, both in the laboratory and on an industrial scale. It has been tested as pretreatment for pulping of wood, but is too costly to be commercialized. The compound is soluble in alcohols, certain ethers, and water, although it slowly hydrolyzes.
Sodium Borohydride, also known as sodium tetrahydridroborate, is a white solid, usually encountered as a powder, widely used as a reducing agent in various industries like pharmaceuticals, pulp & paper, metal recovery, textiles, organic chemical purification and others.
Sodium borohydride is an effective and a selective specialty reducing agent used in the manufacture of pharmaceuticals. Sodium borohydride is used for reduction of metal ions, carbonyls and peroxides as well as purification and removal of oxidation, odor and color of precursors in organic chemical products. Sodium borohydride is also used to control pollution and recycle noble metals. Sodium borohydride is a less expensive metal hydride and is an efficient and cost-effective reducing agent. Sodium borohydride finds wide area of applications in the synthesis of many intermediates used in manufacture of medicines and fine chemical products, pharmaceuticals, the recovery & preparation of catalysts, precious heavy metals & rare earth metals among others. Sodium borohydride is used as a reducing agent when reacting with ketone chlorine, aldehyde and ketone.
Sodium Borohydride Market size is estimated to grow at a moderate rate from 2016 to 2024 owing to the growth in wood pulp, textile, and pharmaceuticals industries.
Extensive usage as a bleaching agent in wood pulp and textiles industry will be a major driver for the global sodium borohydride market in the coming years. Pulp and paper industry is likely to grow on the account of increasing demand from the packaging industry. Environmental sustainability of pulp-based packaging material for food products will be a major boosting factor. Rising worldwide pulp consumption and growing textiles industry owing to changing consumer preference for natural fiber based textiles will also augment the industry growth.
Sodium borohydride is also used as a hydrogen storage agent due to high hydrogen density, low cost, and relative air stability. With the current global trend to use alternative and clean energy rising, use of hydrogen as a clean fuel is being considered by many countries. Although this trend will lead to increased product use, but commercial and large-scale use of hydrogen as fuel is still far away due to technological limitations. Scope for the product to be used as hydrogen storage agent by energy and automobile industry is mostly at the research phase and will provide a plethora of opportunities for sodium borohydride market growth in the coming years.
Sodium borohydride market will witness growth on the account of its application to produce sodium dithionite, a reducing agent used in wood pulp and bleaching industries. Sodium dithionite is also used to produce alcohols by reducing aldehydes and ketones which are used to manufacture various antibiotics. Growing antibiotics demand in the underdeveloped countries of Asia Pacific and Middle East & Africa will propel the global sodium borohydride market in the coming years.
The product is also used in the synthesis of gold nanoparticles, which are used in various fields such as electron microscopy, chemotherapy, radiotherapy, medical research etc. Gold nanoparticles industry is expected to grow by over 25% CAGR in the forecast period which will drive the sodium borohydride market.