Caustic Soda
What is Caustic Soda? - Everything about caustic soda
Liquid soda with the scientific name of sodium hydroxide with the chemical formula NaOH is a common industrial compound. This compound has also been introduced as liquid caustic soda, liquid caustic soda, or liquid caustic. Liquid sodium hydroxide is clear, sometimes known as lye. This chemical composition has various properties that have made it used in various processes in industries. Sodium hydroxide is a common product of the chlorine production process. In addition to the name of liquid soda, we are also dealing with the name of sodium hydroxide, which is solid sodium hydroxide.
The purchase and sale of export soda ash and export liquid caustic soda is one of the largest transactions in the petrochemical products group in the world. The price of sodium hydroxide is determined based on the price of the process and the method of producing caustic soda per kilogram.
Also, the pricing will be different according to the manufacturing company. The method of transporting this material and the order volume of consumer industries is another factor that affects the pricing. In the rest of this article, we will mention more about the caustic soda chemical, its uses and production methods, its properties and characteristics.
A look at the history of liquid caustic soda
About the history of this substance, not much specific information has been published, but the history of the discovery of soda ash, which has a structure exactly similar to liquid caustic soda, indicates the importance of this substance in various industries. In ancient times, the first uses of caustic liquid are recorded as an alkaline compound in the preparation of soap. European countries were the first group of consumers who used this alkaline liquid to prepare soap. The methods of producing caustic soda and liquid caustic soda gradually underwent changes and developments over time. According to the explanations given about the history of caustic soda, the results have shown that at that time they believed that sodium hydroxide was obtained by passing water through an alkaline solution. The alkaline solution used in this method was a combination of sodium carbonate or calcium oxide. This method gradually replaced new production methods including electrolysis and diaphragm methods to produce liquid caustic soda.
Properties and Application
Liquid soda is a clear, odorless liquid compound. The alkaline property of this substance is known as a prominent feature. Usually, when buying and selling liquid caustic soda, they mention that the diaphragm method was used for its production or the membrane-membrane method. The selling price of this material is different in each of these two methods; Because they have different purity percentages. As the most important characteristics and physical and chemical properties of caustic soda liquid, its solubility, boiling point or freezing point can be mentioned. This liquid is soluble in water and dissolves equally in alcohols such as ethanol and methanol. The composition of liquid caustic soda boils at a temperature of 145 degrees Celsius. This alkaline solution reacts chemically with many compounds and metals. The reaction of sodium hydroxide with aluminum leads to the production of aluminum hydroxide as a precipitate. This material absorbs moisture and can quickly absorb carbon dioxide in the air. As mentioned in the safety information sheet of caustic soda liquid solution, this substance is corrosive and can dissolve the fatty tissue on the skin. We talk more about this in the safety section of liquid caustic soda. The features mentioned in this section are also true about the 50% liquid caustic soda that is produced in the industry.
Applications of liquid caustic soda
1- Production of cleaning and disinfecting products
Liquid soda or sodium hydroxide is used as an alkaline substance to produce soap and various detergents used at home or in commercial and industrial places. Chlorine bleaching solution is obtained from the combination of chlorine and sodium hydroxide.
Drain cleaners or household drain descalers contain sufficient amounts of liquid caustic soda to dissolve grease, scale, and scale.
These fats block the tubes and cause them to clog. Strong cleaning solutions with high alkalinity contain a certain percentage of liquid sodium hydroxide that dissolves these deposits and mass.
2- Pharmaceuticals
Another use of liquid sodium hydroxide is its use in the preparation of various medicines and medicinal products. Liquid sodium hydroxide is used to produce blood anticoagulants and drugs such as aspirin as well as cholesterol-lowering drugs.
3- Energy
Another application of caustic soda is its use in the production of fuel cells. Fuel cells are used in the production of batteries that help generate electricity in a clean and efficient process. These batteries are a new generation of environmentally friendly batteries and support a wide range of applications including transportation systems. The energy and environment sector needs these batteries and fuel cells very much. Sodium hydroxide is used along with epoxy resin for wind turbines.
4- Water treatment
Liquid soda solution is used in urban water treatment facilities to control water acidity and help remove heavy metals from water. This liquid is also used to adjust the pH conditions in the wastewater treatment process in industrial treatment plants and urban treatment plants.
This alkaline compound is used in the water and wastewater treatment process to produce sodium hypochlorite, which is a water disinfectant.
5- Food industry
Caustic soda solution or liquid caustic soda is used in food processing. Industrial processes such as cooking and preparing olives are done using this alkaline solution. In the processing of some drinks, this chemical substance is also used with a certain percentage of purity. Profitable liquid solution is very useful in the tomato paste industry. This solution easily removes the skin of tomatoes or even potatoes and other fruits. This feature is very useful in preparing various fruit compotes. Liquid sodium hydroxide solution is also used to prepare canned goods. This substance acts as a food preservative and can prevent the growth of mold and bacteria in packaging.
6- Paper and wood products
The use of liquid sodium hydroxide solution in the papermaking and wood processing industries is world famous.
In different stages of paper production, they remove existing impurities using sodium hydroxide. Using this solution along with the sodium sulfide solution causes the wood impurities to disappear and only pure cellulose remains. Pure cellulose is also the basic material of paper.
In the paper recycling process, liquid sodium hydroxide solution is used to dissolve the ink and separate it from the paper fibers. In this way, the paper is bleached and used again.
In the wood industry, caustic soda liquid is used to refine wood products and produce furniture cabinets and clean wood.
7- Aluminum ore processing
One of the most important uses of this material is its use in the extraction of alumina from its natural ore. Aluminum extracted from ore is used in the production of various products, including kitchen appliances, airplane parts, and types of cans and aluminum foil.
8- Other applications of liquid caustic soda
Sodium hydroxide is widely used in soap making, production of detergent and cleaning products, synthesis of hydroxide salts in chemical industries, leather and tanning industries, plastic recycling industry, textile and fiber dyeing, metal plating, industrial wastewater treatment, battery making and ceramic industries. .
saftey
Liquid sodium hydroxide solution is a strongly alkaline compound whose pH is reported to be 13. This substance can react with metals such as aluminum, magnesium, copper, zinc and tin.
Contact of liquid sodium hydroxide with the skin causes severe irritation. Liquid caustic soda dissolves the fatty tissue of the skin and is classified as a dangerous chemical. People who deal with this substance should use gloves, masks, glasses and work clothes when working.
packing and maintenance
Packages containing liquid sodium hydroxide are made of resistant polymer. The best conditions for storing liquid caustic soda are dry and cool warehouses with good ventilation.
It is recommended for people in the retail trade to re-tighten the lids of tanks or barrels every time they are opened.
Since this substance has a negative effect on metals, you should avoid storing these tanks next to metal containers or shelves.
As a result of electric shock and heat sources, this material may catch fire, so liquid sodium hydroxide storage warehouses should be away from these sources of stress.
The packaging of this substance is available in the form of shipping in barrels or shipping in bulk according to the state of this chemical. If the purchase of liquid caustic soda is registered for export purposes, it is possible to transport the soda in accordance with the standards for the transportation of chemicals through tankers. It is more convenient to transport caustic soda liquid packages in a barrel. Barrels are offered to the market in two packages of 330 kg and 220 liters.