Module: 3

Dr. N. K. Patel
Lecture: 14 Sodium hydroxide

Module: 3
Lecture: 14

SODIUM HYDROXIDE (Continued)

2. Lime soda process

Raw materials
Basis: 1000kg Sodium hydroxide
Sodium carbonate = 1360kg
Lime = 75kg
Water = 1000kg
Steam = 1225kg
Fuel = 13000000 Btu
Electricity = 19KWH

Sources of raw material

Sodium carbonate can be manufactured by Solvay‘s process, dual process
or electrolytic process as described in Module: 3, Lecture: 9

Lime stone is obtained from mineral calcite or aragonite, which can be used
after removal of clay, slit and sand (silica).

Reaction
Na2CO3 + Ca(OH)2 NaOH + CaCO3

Manufacture
Block diagram of manufacturing process

Diagram with process equipment

Animation

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 Module: 3
Dr. N. K. Patel
Lecture: 14 Sodium hydroxide

Soda Ash
Weak liquor from filter

Dissolving
Tank

Weak liquor to 1 st
Hot Water
dissolving tank
Milk of lime

Filtrate

Causticizers Filter
Thickeners

Thickeners
Sludge

Dilute caustic solution

storage

Figure: Manufacturing of Caustic Soda by Lime Soda Process

Series of causticizer tank or agitator are added with 20% solution of soda ash
(made with weak liquor from a previous stage) and milk of lime or slaked lime. The
causticizer tanks containing steam line to heat the mixture to 80–900C are either
fitted with mechanical stirrer or compressed air as substitute of agitator.

After the equilibrium the liquid is allowed to settle for 2-3hour.The clear liquid
containing about 10% NaOH is drawn by a swing pipe. The sludge is washed in
counter current manner with the washing of the previous operation. The causticising
process is completed in the series of three agitators. The mixture of NaOH and
CaCO3 from the last agitator is charged to the first Door thickener, which consist of a
large shallow cylindrical tank into which the slurry is fed at the center. The over flow
liquid from the first thickener is filtered and filtrate containing 10-11% NaOH is
evaporated to 50 % solution in a triple effect vacuum evaporator as described
earlier. The solid CaCO3 is gradually settles to the bottom. The lime sludge from the
bottom of the first thickener is washed with the water. The filtrate from the next
operation is also added to the second thickener, where the liquor is treated with
excess of weak soda solution. The overflow from the second thickener is used as a
weak liquor to make soda ash solution. The lye suspension from the second agitator
is settled in the second thickener is filtered through rotary drum vacuum filter and
passed to a third thickener where it is finally washed with fresh water to remove any
traces of NaOH. The slug of the filter cake (CaCO3) is return in the lime kiln to from
lime. The caustic soda (11 % strength) contains small amount of NaCl and Na2CO3.

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 Module: 3
Dr. N. K. Patel
Lecture: 14 Sodium hydroxide

Kinetics and thermodynamics

Concentration of reagents favourable to the process
Na2CO3 + Ca(OH)2 NaOH + CaCO3

The equilibrium constant of above reaction is

( )
---- (1)

Since calcium carbonate and calcium hydroxide are only slightly soluble,
their solutions are always saturated and concentration of two components in the
solution is therefore constant. Equation (1) can be written as

---- (2)

The yield of NaOH is given by,

---- (3)

Upon dividing the terms in the fraction by the concentration of hydroxide,

then (3) becomes

---- (4)

The ratio which appears in the denominator of (4), when use is made of (2) is
equal to the other ratio [NaOH]/K'c. On the basis of this (4) becomes

---- (5)

That is

---- (6)

It is seen from (6) that the yield of NaOH is high when the concentration of the
same hydroxide at equilibrium is low, i.e. when starting concentration of sodium
carbonate is small.

In practice it is necessary to work with stating solutions which are not too
dilute in order to avoid excessive cost of concentrating the produced caustic soda
solutions. Generally, solution containing 12-14% of sodium carbonate are used.

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Dr. N. K. Patel
Lecture: 14 Sodium hydroxide

Effect of temperature
Temperature effects on both equilibrium yield and rate of reaction.

PROPERTIES

 Molecular formula : NaOH

 Molecular weight : 39.997gm/mole
 Appearance : White, waxy, opaque crystal
 Odour : Odourless
 Boiling point : 13880C
 Melting point : 3180C (Decompose)
 Density : 2.13gm/mL
 Solubility : Soluble in water
 It is hygroscopic in nature

USES
It is an important heavy chemical and occupies among the basic chemicals
position equal in importance to sulfuric acid and ammonia.

It is used in soap, rayon, dyes, paper, drugs, foods, rubber, textiles, chemicals,
bleaching, metallurgy and petroleum industries.

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