Sodium hydroxide (NaOH), also known as caustic soda.
Caustic soda is a widely used chemical produced by electrolysis of an aqueous NaCl salt solution (brine). The resulting product is caustic soda lye or liquor, a NaOH solution in demineralised water.
As an industrial commodity, caustic soda holds a pivotal position in the manufacture of a wide range of industrial and consumer products.
MAIN APPLICATIONS
Thanks to its strong alkaline nature, caustic soda has an outstanding ability to dissolve or extract, making it the product of choice for applications in the pulp and paper industry, for alumina extraction from bauxite ore and for use in demanding cleaning applications, such as breweries, bakeries and other food processing environments.
In water treatment, it is a powerful means for pH adjustment, neutralizing water streams and contributing to reducing corrosion.
In sodium-based chemistry, it serves as a reactive agent in the production process, delivering sodium to the final product in various ways and for many different purposes. Caustic soda is for example used in the production of silicas, silicates and metasilicates, phosphates, fibres, bleach, detergents and soaps as well as in food processing (for example of sugar) and in the refining of vegetable and mineral oils