Applications of Sodium Carbonate The inorganic substance with the formula Na2CO3 and its different hydrates is sodium carbonate, Na2CO3·10H2O (also known as washing soda, soda ash, and soda crystals). All forms of Sodium Carbonate are white, odourless, water-soluble salts that produce moderately alkaline water solutions. It was traditionally derived from the ashes of plants growing in sodium-rich soils. Because the ashes of these sodium-rich plants differed markedly from the ashes of wood, sodium carbonate then became popular as "Soda Ash." The Solvay process produces a considerable amount of it from sodium chloride and limestone. Palvi FZE is a distinct Sodium Carbonate distributor in Nigeria.
Applications: Sodium carbonate (or washing soda) is commonly used for the following purposes: ● Sodium carbonate is a cleaning agent used in the home to wash clothes. Many dry soap powders contain sodium carbonate. ● It is used to remove both transient and permanent water hardness. ● It's utilised in the production of glass, soap, and paper. ● It is utilised in the production of sodium compounds such as borax.
Glass manufacture: Sodium carbonate acts as a flux for silica, decreasing the melting point of the mixture to a level that is reachable without the use of specific ingredients. Because this "soda glass" is moderately water-soluble, calcium carbonate is added to the melt mixture to render the glass insoluble. Melting sodium carbonate, calcium carbonate, and silica sand (silicon dioxide (SiO2) mixes yields bottle and window glass (soda-lime glass). Carbon dioxide is released when these carbonates are heated. Sodium carbonate is thus a source of sodium oxide. For centuries, soda-lime glass was the most prevalent type of glass.
Water softening: Dissolved chemicals, mainly calcium or magnesium compounds, are present in hard water. Sodium carbonate is used to remove both transient and permanent water hardness.