📌 Detailed Introduction of Soda Ash (Sodium Carbonate)
✔ What is Soda Ash?
Soda Ash (Sodium Carbonate, Na₂CO₃) is a white, odorless, water-soluble powder with strong alkalinity. It is a fundamental chemical used in glass manufacturing, detergents, water treatment, and food processing.
✔ CAS Number & Chemical Formula:
CAS Number: 497-19-8
Chemical Formula: Na₂CO₃
📌 Types of Soda Ash
Type | Characteristics | Main Applications |
---|---|---|
Soda Ash Light | Fine, powdery texture, high solubility | Detergents, food additives, chemical manufacturing |
Soda Ash Dense | Granular, higher bulk density | Glass manufacturing, water treatment, metallurgical processes |
📌 Applications of Soda Ash
✔ Glass Manufacturing (Primary Use - 50% of Global Consumption)
Essential fluxing agent in glass production.
Reduces the melting temperature of silica, lowering energy consumption.
Used in making flat glass, bottles, fiberglass, and container glass.
✔ Detergent & Cleaning Industry
Key ingredient in laundry detergents, soaps, and cleaners.
Improves alkalinity and enhances cleaning efficiency.
Prevents hard water minerals from interfering with detergent performance.
✔ Water Treatment Industry
pH regulator in municipal and industrial water treatment plants.
Helps in removing acidity and softening water.
✔ Chemical Industry
Used in the production of sodium silicates, sodium bicarbonate, and percarbonate.
Employed in pulp & paper processing.
✔ Food Industry (Food Grade, E500 Additive)
Acts as a food additive (E500) for pH regulation, leavening agent, and acidity regulator.
Used in baking powder, ramen noodles, and caramel coloring.
✔ Textile & Dyeing Industry
Used as a fixing agent in dyeing processes.
Helps in fabric processing and cleaning.
✔ Metallurgical Industry
Used in ore refining and metal extraction.
Helps in aluminum production and iron smelting.
📌 Production Method & Raw Materials
✔ Raw Materials Used:
Natural Trona Ore or Sodium Chloride (NaCl) & Limestone (CaCO₃)
✔ Production Process:
Solvay Process (Synthetic Method)
Sodium chloride (NaCl) reacts with limestone (CaCO₃) and ammonia (NH₃) to produce sodium carbonate (Na₂CO₃).
This is the most common industrial production method.
Mining of Natural Trona Ore
Natural trona (Na₂CO₃·NaHCO₃·2H₂O) is mined and refined into soda ash.
Common in the USA, Turkey, and China.
📌 Product Specifications (Industrial & Food Grade)
Property | Specification |
---|---|
Appearance | White powder or granules |
Purity (Na₂CO₃, %) | ≥ 99.2% |
pH (1% Solution) | 11.2 |
Chloride (Cl, %) | ≤ 0.4% |
Iron (Fe, %) | ≤ 0.003% |
Sulphate (SO₄, %) | ≤ 0.03% |
Water Insolubles (%) | ≤ 0.03% |
Loss on Drying (%) | ≤ 0.5% |
Bulk Density (g/L) | Light: 500-600 / Dense: 950-1050 |
Packaging | 25kg bags, 1000kg jumbo bags |
Shelf Life | 24 months |
📌 Famous Soda Ash Brands Worldwide
Tata Chemicals (India)
Solvay (Belgium)
Genesis Alkali (USA)
Ciner Group (Turkey)
Jiangsu Khonor Chemicals Co., Limited (China)
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Soda ash, also known as sodium carbonate, is a versatile chemical compound with a wide range of applications in various industries. This article explores the production process, common applications, and environmental considerations associated with soda ash.
Production Process:
Mining and Extraction:Soda ash is primarily obtained through the extraction of trona ore, a sodium carbonate-containing mineral. Significant deposits of trona are found in the United States, China, and several other countries.
Processing Trona Ore:Trona ore is processed to extract sodium carbonate. The ore is crushed, then heated and dissolved in water to produce a solution rich in sodium carbonate.
Solvay Process:Another common method for soda ash production is the Solvay process, which involves reacting sodium chloride, ammonia, and carbon dioxide. This process yields sodium bicarbonate, which is then converted to soda ash through heating.
Applications:
Glass Manufacturing:One of the largest consumers of soda ash is the glass industry. It is a crucial ingredient in the production of glass, helping to lower the melting point of silica and enhance the transparency and strength of the glass.
Detergent Production:Soda ash is a key component in the manufacturing of detergents. It acts as a pH regulator and aids in the removal of grease and stains.
Chemical Industry:The chemical industry utilizes soda ash in various chemical processes, including the production of sodium silicates, sodium phosphates, and other important chemicals.
Water Treatment:Soda ash is employed in water treatment processes to adjust pH levels and soften water by precipitating calcium and magnesium ions.
Textile Industry:In the textile industry, soda ash is used in the production of dyes and as a pH regulator in dyeing processes.
• Product category:
Industrial sodium carbonate can be divided into: I category heavy sodium carbonate for use in industry and II category sodium carbonate for use in industry, according to uses.
• Appearance: light sodium carbonate is white crystalline powder, heavy sodium carbonate is white fine particle.
• Standard: GB-210.1-2004
Item | I category | II category | |||
Superior | Superior | First-class | Qualified | ||
Total alkali (As mass fraction of dry basis NaCO3)/% ≥ Total alkali (As mass fraction of wet basis NaCO3)a/% ≥ | 99.4 98.1 | 99.2 97.9 | 98.8 97.5 | 98.0 96.7 | |
Sodium chloride (As mass fraction of dry basis NaCl)/% ≤ | 0.30 | 0.70 | 0.90 | 1.20 | |
Mass fraction of iron (as dry basis) /% ≤ | 0.003 | 0.0035 | 0.006 | 0.010 | |
Sulfate (as mass fraction of dry basis SO4)/% ≤ | 0.03 | 0.03b | |||
Mass fraction of water insoluble matter /% ≤ | 0.02 | 0.03 | 0.10 | 0.15 | |
Bulk density C/ (g/mL) ≥ | 0.85 | 0.90 | 0.90 | 0.90 | |
Particle size C, residue on sieve /% | 180um ≥ | 75.0 | 70.0 | 65.0 | 60.0 |
1.18mm ≤ | 2.0 | ||||
a presents the content when packaging. b is control index of ammonia base products C is control index of heavy sodium carbonate. |
• Packing: Packed by coated PP woven bag, low salt soda ash dense 1000kg, 40kg, 25kg, soda ash dense 1000kg, 50kg, light soda ash 40kg, 25kg, dietary alkali 40kg, 500kg, 750kg, sodium bicarbonate 50kg, 25kg