Sodium Research

Sodium isnt salt. Sodium Chloride is salt. Sodium is much different in fact life as we
know it could not exist without compounds of sodium. These compounds hold water in body
tissues, and a severe lack of sodium can cause death. Blood contains sodium compounds in
solution. In its pure form sodium is a silver-white, metallic element. One of the most common
sodium compounds is table salt, or sodium chloride. Other sodium compounds are baking soda,
borax, and caustic soda. Sodium belongs to the group of elements known as alkali metals. It is
never found uncombined in nature and was first collected by the English scientist Sir Humphry
Davy in 1807. It is lighter than water. Pure sodium can be cut with a knife at room temperature
but is brittle at low temperatures. Pure sodium sounds relatively useless as exploding metals can
be but, one of the few uses of pure sodium is in vapor lamps along highways so thank salt for
being able to drive at night. In belgian a manufacturer introduced the Solvay process this is
where Solvay method strong ammonia-saturated salt brine is treated with carbon dioxide gas that
is bubbled through the brine from below. This causes reactions that produce ammonium chloride
and baking soda. The sodium bicarbonate forms a crystalline precipitate, which is filtered out.
This is then heated, driving off hydrogen, carbon, and oxygen and leaving sodium carbonate.
Sodium is a very important element and we are lucky we have it. Sodium's uses have helped the
world move ahead. The Sodium is underrated and our world would be much different if it was
never researched as much as it has been.