1. Performance Chemicals

• Reducing agent: Sodium oxalate (Na₂C₂O₄) is used as a reducing agent in Performance Chemicals because it readily donates electrons to other substances, causing their reduction. This property is particularly useful in reactions where electron transfer is crucial, such as in the reduction of metal ions or in specific industrial processes.
• Redox Reactions: Sodium oxalate participates in redox (reduction-oxidation) reactions. In these reactions, one substance loses electrons (oxidation) while another gains them (reduction). Sodium oxalate acts as the reducing agent by donating electrons.
• Standardization: Sodium oxalate is also used in analytical chemistry as a primary standard for titrating potassium permanganate solutions.

2. Metal Treatment

• Cleaning Agent: Sodium oxalate acts as a cleaning agent in various industries, including metal treatment. It effectively removes stubborn stains and scale deposits from metal surfaces, preparing them for further processing or coating. 
• Electroplating: Sodium oxalate is used in electroplating to prepare metal surfaces and in the electroplating baths themselves. Its ability to facilitate the deposition of metal coatings makes it an important component in this process. 
• Metal Extraction and Separation: Sodium oxalate is also involved in the extraction and separation of metals. It can be used to selectively dissolve certain metal ions or to precipitate them out of solution, aiding in the purification of metals.

3. Pharmaceuticals

• Standardizing Agent: Sodium oxalate is also used as a primary standard in analytical chemistry to standardize solutions of potassium permanganate (KMnO4), which is used in redox titrations.
• Anticoagulant: Sodium oxalate can bind to calcium ions in the blood, preventing them from participating in the clotting cascade. This property makes it useful in laboratory settings for blood analysis and in some medical procedures where blood needs to remain fluid. 
• Buffering Agent: In pharmaceutical formulations, sodium oxalate act as a buffering agent, helping to stabilize the pH of the solution. This is important because the pH of a drug can affect its stability, solubility, and effectiveness.

4. Water Treatment

• Heavy Metal Removal: Sodium oxalate can react with certain heavy metals, such as calcium, to form insoluble oxalate salts that precipitate out of the water. This allows for the removal of these metals from the water source.

5. Pulp & Paper solutions

• Calcium Oxalate Scale Prevention: Calcium oxalate is a common scale that forms in pulp and paper mills, particularly in the black liquor evaporation and bleaching stages. Sodium oxalate is used to either prevent the formation of this scale or to help remove it by reacting with calcium ions.