Ammonium carbonate appears as white, pink, gray or colorless crystals that give off an expressive smell of ammonia. The substance is of a synthetic nature. The E503 additive dissolves well in water, is unstable in air and in solution, already at a temperature of 18-24C it starts to release ammonia and turns into ammonium bicarbonate.

At 60C it decomposes into water, carbon dioxide and ammonia. Ammonium carbonate began to be obtained from organic nitrogenous products (nails, horns, hair) by distillation at high temperatures. Currently, E503 is produced on an industrial scale by heating a mixture of ammonium chloride, or by the interaction of carbon dioxide with water and ammonia under conditions of rapid cooling.

Application:

In the food industry, E-503 additive is usually used as ersatz of soda and yeast in bakery and confectionery (biscuits, cakes, chocolates, bagels, baked goods). In addition, ammonium carbonate is used in pharmaceuticals in the production of cough syrups, ammonia.

Many cosmetic companies indicate ammonium carbonate in the composition of decorative cosmetics, which plays the role of a color brightness stabilizer. Winemakers often use the E503 additive as a fermentation accelerator in the wine production process. In addition, the substance is added to the composition of fire extinguishing compositions.