For Soap Makers:
An list of lye calculators can be found at
http://candleandsoap.about.com/od/lyecalculators/
CAUSTIC SODA APPLICATIONS:
Caustic soda is used in a wide variety of industrial applications. It is used as a
reactant in the manufacture of other sodium compounds which themselves may be intermediate
or end-use products, such as sodium hypochlorite which is used as a household bleach and
disinfectant and sodium phenolate which is used in antiseptics and for the manufacture of
Aspirin. It is used in the manufacturing process of soaps and surfactants for used
in soap powders and also in the textile industry to remove contaminants, as a bleach in
the treatment of scoured cloth and to improve luster and dye absorption.
Soap is a mixture of chemical compounds formed by the hydrolysis of animal and
vegetable oils and fats by the action of caustic soda. Soap powders consist of a
mixture of soap and other ingredients which themselves may be sodium chemicals.
The use of caustic soda is mainly confined to finishing operations in the textile
industry, i.e.
Scouring: Removes contaminants such as pectins, waxes etc.
Bleaching: Treatment of scoured cloth with an oxidizing agent.
Mercerizing: Improves luster and dye absorption.
Oil Drilling :Caustic soda is used in the oil drilling industry primarily to control
the pH of drilling mud's and secondary as a bactericide and calcium remover.
Petroleum Oil Refining :Products from the refining operation contain impurities
which are removed by treatment with various chemicals including caustic soda, which
removes sulphur, sulphur compounds and acidic compounds.
Caustic soda is used in the process of producing Rayon from bleached wood pulp where its
role is to dissolve the lignin which binds the cellulose together.
The principal constituent of paper is cellulose fiber and the major source is wood.
Caustic soda is involved in chemical treatment of wood to produce cellulose by the
sulphate and soda processes.
Caustic soda has a variety of uses in the Food Industry, some examples are:
Refining of animal and vegetable oils to remove fatty acids prior to use in foodstuff
production
Dry formulations for bottle washing etc.
General cleansing operations
Cleaning of brewery equipment
Lye peeling of potatoes, fruit and vegetables
Caustic soda is used extensively in the water industry for pH control and ion exchange
resin regeneration. Other uses include effluent neutralization and descaling of
pipe work systems.
1 quart = 0.95 liters 1 gallon = 3.78 liters 5 gallons=18.90 liters
1 lb = 0.453 kg 5 lbs = 2.27 kg 10 lbs = 4.53 kg 25
lbs = 11.33 kg
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