E238 Preservative

E238 is used within EU as an animal feed preservative. It acidifies the feed thus preventing microbe growth and increasing shelf life. About 15 g of E238 addition per kg of feed lowers its pH by one. 15 g/kg is the maximum recommended feed concentration within EU – this level is thought to be safe for pigs, chickens, fish and ruminants. The compound is not environmentally harmful in feed use at these levels. E238 prevents the growth of bacteria such as E. coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus and Enterococcus hirae in growth mediums. It also prevents the growth of fungi like Aspergillus niger and Candida albicans. However, the relevance of these experimental observations to feed preservation is not known.

E238 is used as a masking agent in the chrome tanning of leather. E238 in tannage formulation promotes faster, more efficient leather penetration of the chrome. E238 can also be used as a replacement for formic acid in the pickling operation.

As a grout and cement additive, E238 imparts a number of desirable properties in the final product, e.g. increased hardness and decreased setting time. Its addition is desirable for work at low temperature and for inhibition of corrosion of metal substrates within cement/grout. It is also effective in the prevention of efflorescence. In drywall (gypsum board), E238 can function as a fire retardant.

E238 and urea mixtures are effective deicers, and tend to cause less corrosion of steel and cement surfaces relative to some other deicers.