Reducing agent

A reducing agent (also referred to as a reductant or reducer ) in the broadest sense, a substance which emits electrons, and thus can reduce other materials, and is itself oxidized ( the electron donor ).

In the strict sense refers to in connection with oxygen as the reducing agent is present in a chemical reaction which removes a different, such as an oxide, the oxygen and is itself oxidized. Example: Coke reduced in the blast furnace iron ore and is oxidized to carbon dioxide itself.

The opposite of a reducing agent is an oxidizing agent (also referred to as an oxidant or oxidizer ) ( electron acceptor).

Examples

• Non-metals such as elemental hydrogen, and carbon
• Metals such as the alkali metals ( lithium, sodium, potassium ), magnesium, aluminum, zinc
• Hydrides such as lithium aluminum hydride, sodium borohydride, sodium hydride
• Salts and molecular compounds such as sodium sulfite, sodium dithionite, sodium thiosulfate, hydrazine