Sulfathiazole Sodium comes from the sulfonamide family, a group of synthetic antimicrobial agents. Long used as a pharmaceutical raw material, this compound carries importance for both medicine and industry. It holds a sodium salt form, which helps with solubility and handling. Manufacturers usually list it as Sodium sulfathiazole, with the molecular formula C9H8N3NaO2S2, and a molecular weight sitting around 281.3 g/mol. This raw chemical features in a broad selection of formulations, especially where anti-bacterial properties matter. While people don’t talk about it as often as other antibiotics, Sulfathiazole Sodium’s role as a starting material for certain drugs gives it enduring utility.
Depending on conditions, Sulfathiazole Sodium shows up as a white or faintly yellowish solid. Its shape often ranges from powder to crystalline flakes, sometimes even found in fine, free-flowing pearls. The solid dissolves readily in water, producing a colorless solution; this matters for medical and research use since purity and clarity signal minimal contamination. Touching on density, it lands about 1.52 g/cm³—a figure chemists rely on for preparing solutions at precise concentrations. Temperature affects appearance and handling, but under normal storage, Sulfathiazole Sodium keeps its stable structure and resists caking.
Looking at Sulfathiazole Sodium’s structure, the molecule combines a thiazole ring with a sulfonamide grouping. Chemists usually represent it by a skeletal formula showing each group’s location, though in real-world labs, the white crystalline powder in a jar draws more interest. For manufacturers, specifications often outline purity (above 98% by HPLC or similar analytics), minimal water content, and freedom from heavy metals. Many suppliers provide material safety data sheets outlining melting point—often in the range of 200–210°C—plus detailed chemical stability and compatibility notes. These details matter most in pharma labs and raw material sourcing.
Buyers can pick up Sulfathiazole Sodium as a solid, whether in bulk powder, small flakes, or pressed pearls. Liquid formulations exist for solution prep, though these typically appear in research or hospital settings. Solid forms get packed in high-density polyethylene drums, lined cartons, or moisture-sealed pouches to preserve chemical integrity. Hazard labeling stays front and center because this material presents health risks if mishandled. HS Code for Sulfathiazole Sodium—2935009090—covers import, export, and tariff details.
C9H8N3NaO2S2 sums up Sulfathiazole Sodium’s molecular formula. The molecule stacks two sulfur atoms, three nitrogens, one sodium, two oxygens, and a combination of carbon and hydrogen that makes up most of the backbone. Chemists talk about characteristics like solubility (freely soluble in water, less so in alcohol or ether), melting point, and hygroscopicity. This last property means powder or flakes quickly attract water from the air, which makes airtight containers and dry-room storage essential to prevent clumping or degradation.
Used safely by professionals for decades, Sulfathiazole Sodium can still cause harm. Direct contact with skin or eyes, along with inhalation, irritates tissue and may trigger allergic reactions in sensitive people. Chronic exposure or accidental ingestion risks toxic effects—this isn’t something to store unlabelled or loose around food or drink. Large spills dissolve quickly into wastewater, leading to discussions about pharmaceutical residues in the environment. Direct discharge into water sources could support antibiotic resistance, a public health challenge often ignored until outbreaks start. For solid waste, rules dictate collecting sulfathiazole residues and contaminated packaging for proper disposal as chemical waste, not in general garbage. Lab workers and factory loaders wear gloves, goggles, and work in ventilated spaces, reducing chances of harm to themselves and contamination of the workspace.
Production pipelines for several antibiotics and veterinary drugs commonly start with this compound—its role as a raw material matters to companies building out supply chains. Some water treatment processes and research protocols use dilute solutions, either for preparing growth media in microbiology or testing chemical reactions. The ability to scale Sulfathiazole Sodium production has supported generic medicine availability worldwide, though shifting regulatory landscapes and concerns about antibiotic pollution have driven calls for tighter oversight. The material ships globally, subject to customs scrutiny, with TDG and IMDG safety schedules influencing logistics and on-site storage methods.
Sulfathiazole Sodium, like many legacy chemicals, falls through the cracks once products leave the lab. Regulations cover initial use, but oversight of downstream waste grows tricky. Some municipalities argue for take-back programs, where unused antibiotics and raw materials collect at central depots instead of landfill or sewage systems. Researchers also study advanced filtration or catalytic breakdown methods for contaminated wastewater, though cost and public awareness limit broad rollout so far. Pharmaceutical firms could help curb accidental exposure with clearer labeling and tamper-proof packaging, alongside safety training for global distributors and field workers. The entire chain, from lab bench to environmental controls, benefits from closer cooperation among producers, regulators, and the public. The future of antibiotics, and the fight against resistance, depends on how responsibly these types of raw materials get handled at every step.
