The Essential Chemical Industry- online search Sodium hydroxide ‘Sosium hydroxide (caustic soda) isa co-product from the manufacture of chlorine using a solution of the readily available raw NaOH. ‘material, rock salt (Sodium chloride). These factors contribute to it being the cheapest and most widely used strong alkali Uses of sodium hydroxide siorini surtactans Bates 10% | inorganic X Spee Figure 1 Uses of sodium hydroxide, While Figure 1 shows tre workiwide uses ofsocium hydrox, the proportion varies county by county. For example the manufacture of aluminum only accounts for 3% inthe US whereas 35% is used fo make organic chemicals, aretlecton of the industral make up ofthe US. Saglum hydroxide is used ina wide range of industis as can be seen in Figure 1. Much Is used to sor gases to remove aciés before omiting ‘them tothe open environment. For example gases emitted from burning fosi fuels which contain considerable amounts of slur dioxide. There fare many ways of rapping the sulfur dioxide, one which is used widely involves scrubbing the gases wit solution of sodium and calcium hydroxides. This technique is also used in refining processes such as the purification of bauxte (Imetalsaluminium nimiebauxte) (Fgures 2)mm Sodtum hyaroxtde is i Lar (etatsatuminium imitbeite, ue loro it being used to make aluminium. Ths pleture shows punted bau being unloaded from a ship nfeaand, on ts way to an aluminum extracton plat 2d ponte ‘Anotner major use of socium hydroxide i inthe manufacture of paper from wood. Inthe most used process, the Krall process, wood is treated wih a solution containing a mixture of sodium sulide and sodium hydroxide. Mostof te unwanted materilin the wood, suchas GissoWvein tho tquo, leaving Ferins, ively pure celulose whichis fered of, I this cellubse which ater further purification forms the basis of paper, Other uses include the production of surfactants (materials-and-applcattonsisufactants him), soaps (nalefalsand-applcations/soaps htm) and bleaches, the lator being usually produced by passing chlorine gas into a solution of sodium hydroxe, which generates a soliton containing sodium chlorate!) (¢odium hypoehlont): (kg) + 2NaOH(aq) — NaCKaq) + NaOCI(aq) + H,O4) Sodium hydroxide is used in making organic chemicals, one of he most important boing epoxypropane (propylene oxi), used in tum to make polurethanes (polymersipolyuretnane.himi#epoxypropane). Propene is reated wit chlorine n water to make a mixture of t-chloropropan.2.01 and 2-chioropropanct-ol. Epoxypropane forms on adaltion ofa sohton of ether sodium hydroxide or calcium hycroxide, 9H H-CH,Cl + Hel CHy-CHECH, + Cl +H,O—> CHy, oH Q 2 CH, -GH-CH,C1 + OH —> Ho —CH—CHy+ H,0+0r Annual production of sodium hydroxide wart | 70 maton tonne us _ [11.8 miton tonnes? rope | 10.7 mon tonnes 1 nad fom dor chirine 2218 mnt of be Bao Chor, erin Cem Co Manufacture of sodium hydroxide Scum nyroieand chine are manufactured together y te elec ofsodlum coie (chemicals nifmanufate Lage deposs of sodum choke (ork sa are founda many pats othe wor. These depois ae almost pure sot clone anda oten severalhunéreé motes deep (same ae up 3009 mates deep wih seams of 30 mio SODm thick gure 3). They wee evaporated fom tapped seas nthe Tass perod, 200 min years ago. For eral, m Europe, te seas produced ceposts when sth, though not contruoudy, fom Chshie ancash, Saori and Clever he Uo Potnd. Thy ar alo bund toughout he US, prey Louisana and Texas, is houghtat he gbbal demand forsas about 350 min ones analy 1S opreon 204‘Figure 3 Although much rock salts pumped tothe surface as brine, some ‘Is mined, asi bing done inthis large underground deposit in Cheshire phd emia fe Secon A small amountis mined as rock salt, the major is soktion-nined by the controlled pumping of water at high pressure into the salt seam. A proportion of the solution-ined brine produced inthis manner is evaporated o produce dry sal. Solar sat, produced by te vaporaton of sea water using solar heating, i also a source of sodium chloride ‘Figure Salt (coal chloride is beng vansored 03 large ilo for storage porto bang converted to chlorine and zdum hydrox Bend pmsion foot ‘Saturated brine, prior tothe electralyle, fs puried to precipitate calcium, magnesium and other datimental cations by addon of sodium catbonato, sodium hydroxide and other reagents. The suspondod sols are removed from the brine by setting and fran, ‘Thote are throe electotyc processes employed today. The concenitaion of caustic soda produced om wach of te processes vale: ‘+ Membrane Cells Uchericalsehlorine hra#membrane, cell Caustic soda is produced as 2 pure ce 30% (w/w) solution whichis normally concentrated by evaporation toa S0¥ (wi) solution using steam under pressure Mercury Cel (/chemicalsiehlornehemldmeraury cel Cause Soda Is produce as 2 pure 508 (w/w) solution whieh s the concentration most commonly sold onthe werld market. Some ls concentrated by evaporation to 75% and then heated at 750-850 K to abtln sold sodium hydronde Dlophragm Celis (chemicalsthorne him!#algphragm cell: The cust sda i produced as an impure solution calles ‘saphragm cll liquce’ (OC with peal concentrations 10-12% (sodium hydroxide and 15% (wiw) sodium chloride. In order to produce the SO% (wiw) strength thats usually required the BCL haste be concentrated using evaporaton units that are much larger an nore complex han thase used on membrane call planss. Large quantities of sat are precipitated during this process, which s normally reused to produce a saturated brie fed tothe cells. ‘An adeitional aspect ofthe sodium hydroxide produced in the ciaphragm cells thatthe product has a small amount (1) of salt present as 3 ‘contaminant, whieh may ake the material unsuitable far some purposes Date ast amended: 27th November 2018putamen ushtsttaorptps hycreigcoticotsin ‘Aninvitation Wie invite you to wate tous fyou have any specie comments about this ste, fr example ‘errors that you have found, suggestions for new topics of for adding to the existing unis, ‘suggestions for inks to other sos and addtlons or allematives to our examples. Ploase send these comments to: eci@essontatchemicalndusty.org(mallo:eci@essentalchemicalindusty. org) ‘This web site is produced by the Centre for Industry Education Collaboration non-profit organization and an integral part ofthe Department of ‘Cherise, Univesity of York UK. Copyright © 2016 University of York Centre for Industry Edueatin Collaboration, York, UK. All Rights Reserve,