Grade, not name, is the real split: pharmaceutical/food grade (low heavy metals, defined microbial limits) versus technical grade for flue-gas or pool use. Both names ship under all grades.

Because the substance is identical either way, grade and documentation do the real separating: pharmacopoeial vs food vs technical grade, assay basis, impurity limits (heavy metals, residual solvents, water), container size and, for stereochemical names, an optical-purity clause.

Are Sodium bicarbonate and Bicarbonate of soda chemically identical?

Yes. Two established names for one compound: sodium bicarbonate is the systematic/chemical name, bicarbonate of soda (or baking soda) is the household and food-trade name.

Which spelling is correct?

Both are accepted, but in different domains: One half is simply shorthand for the other; the expanded form is what should appear in specifications.

What should a purchase order say?

Name plus CAS plus grade plus quantity. For Sodium Bicarbonate the CAS alone removes every ambiguity created by spelling, shorthand or stereochemistry prefixes.

Is the short form ever a different product?

Yes — and that is precisely why the specification, not the name, decides what ships. One half is simply shorthand for the other; the expanded form is what should appear in specifications.

Editorial note

This article clarifies naming equivalence for procurement and documentation use. It is not legal or regulatory advice; the controlled source for any label is the current monograph, CAS index entry and applicable market regulations.