Used as a reducing agent in chemical synthesis, particularly in the production of oximes from ketones and aldehydes. Commonly applied in the Beckmann rearrangement for caprolactam synthesis, which is a precursor to nylon-6. Also employed in analytical chemistry for the determination of carbonyl compounds and in electroless plating processes as a stabilizer or activator. Its reducing properties make it useful in photography and in the treatment of wastewater containing heavy metals by aiding in the precipitation of metal ions.