Caustic soda, also known as sodium hydroxide, is a chemical substance with the chemical formula NaOH.It is a strong alkali, corrosive and irritating, and is commonly used in industrial production and laboratories.

Caustic soda is a strong alkali with strong corrosive properties, usually in the form of flakes or lumps, but also in powder form after processing, easily soluble in water and form an alkaline solution, with additional deliquescence, easy to absorb water vapor and carbon dioxide in the air, and can be added to hydrochloric acid to test whether it is deteriorating.

Caustic soda is an essential chemical in chemistry labs and is one of the most common chemicals. When dissolved in water, caustic soda dissociates completely into sodium ions and hydroxide ions, so it has the properties of a base.

Caustic soda is widely used in enamel, medicine, cosmetics, tanning, paint, pesticide, glass and other industries. In the past, caustic soda was only used in traditional life, and there is a relatively high demand for caustic soda in soaps and so on.

Precautions for preserving and using caustic soda:

1, preserving caustic soda

Caustic soda must be sealed and preserved. Generally you can use glass containers to hold caustic soda, however, you must remember not to use the glass bottle stopper, but to use a rubber stopper. The purpose of this is to prevent bonding can not be opened.

2, the use of caustic soda

Must prevent caustic soda from splashing on the skin, eyes and clothes, before using caustic soda, you can wear gloves, glasses, and anti-corrosive clothing. Once stained with caustic soda, you should immediately rinse with water, and then rinse with 3% boric acid. Do not remove your gloves the entire time you are in contact with the caustic soda operation.

Use of caustic soda

1, ordinary soap is the sodium salt of high-grade fatty acids, generally made by saponification with oils and fats in a slight excess of caustic soda.

2, printing and dyeing, textile industry, to use a large amount of lye to remove the oil and grease on cotton yarn, wool and so on. Caustic soda is also needed for the production of man-made fibers.

3, refined petroleum also use caustic soda. In order to remove the gum in the petroleum fraction, generally in the petroleum fraction with concentrated sulfuric acid in order to make the gum become acid residue and precipitation. After acid washing, the oil also contains phenol, naphthenic acid and other acidic impurities as well as excess sulfuric acid, must be washed with caustic soda solution, and then washed with water to get refined petroleum products.

4, the paper industry, the first chemical treatment, the raw materials containing cellulose and chemicals steamed into pulp. The so-called alkaline pulp is to use caustic soda solution as a cooking liquid to remove lignin, carbohydrates and resins in the raw material, and neutralize the organic acids in it, so that the cellulose is separated.