A salt containing the dithionite ion (S₂O₄²⁻), particularly sodium dithionite, used as a reducing agent in bleaching, dyeing, and pulp processing.
From 'dithionous' (relating to reduced sulfur oxides) + '-ite' (mineral/salt suffix). Named for its chemical composition and oxidation state.
Sodium dithionite is the industrial workhorse behind textile bleaching and is also used in water treatment—it's so effective at removing oxygen that it's sometimes used to create oxygen-free environments for sensitive chemistry.
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