What are the common uses and applications of a sodium hydroxide solution?
Beginning: Chemicals have both good and bad sides if handled the wrong way. Take, for example, a sodium hydroxide solution, which is a common chemical with lots of applications in both industrial and domestic settings. But what is it anyway? And what makes it special? Let us find out more below.
What is sodium hydroxide solution?
Sodium hydroxide is a highly versatile chemical that results from chlorine. Also known as caustic soda and lye, sodium hydroxide has several uses.
Basic Formula of Sodium Hydroxide
Sodium hydroxide’s chemical formula is NaOH. It has one sodium atom linked with a hydroxyl ion, forming an alkali. Sodium is highly reactive with water. And yet still finds lots of applications and uses. These may include:
Common Uses of Sodium Hydroxide Solution
- Soap making and manufacturing: Sodium hydroxide is used in the soap-making industry as it is a major part of the soap manufacturing process. Also known as lye or caustic soda, the solution is usually mixed with fats and oils to create a chemical reaction known as saponification.
- Daily cleaning tasks: As a corrosive solution, it easily cleans different utensils and tools. Most cleaning products have sodium hydroxide.
- Kitchen and house cleaning: It is efficient in drain, oven, faucet, and tile cleaning tasks. It erases fat, grease, and grime on the floor, kitchen countertops, and appliances.
- Home disinfection and bacteria prevention: It helps keep homes and commercial and business establishments neat and clean while keeping pests and bacteria far away.
- Pharmaceutical industry: It is applicable in the formulation of various medicines and drugs.
- Paper and pulp making industry: It is applied in paper making and helps make pulp and manufacture paper.
Medical applications and uses: A special additive to most pain relief medications and in anticoagulants. It is also added to cholesterol maintenance prescriptions. And some common drugs with sodium hydroxide include aspirin, diclofenac sodium, and divalproex, among others.
- Beauty and grooming products: In diluted amounts of up to 5%, sodium hydroxide is used in beauty products like hairsprays, perfumes, beauty soaps, allergic care creams, foot talc, hair dye, makeup, nail care polish, shampoo, shaving cream, etc. It helps stabilise pH levels in beauty products.
- Aluminum products manufacturing: It is used to make aluminium products.
Physical Properties of Sodium Hydroxide
- Has colourless and crystalline pure form.
- Melts a high point of 318 °C.
- Boils at a high point of 1388 °C.
- Creates aqueous base easily, yet is non-soluble in methanol and ethanol.
- Absorbs moisture from the air.
Chemical Properties of Sodium Hydroxide
- Reacts vigorously with acids to form salts and water.
- Reacts with glass to form soluble silicates, which is why it's stored in bottles made of a non-reactive material.
- Reacts with other salts of metals in the lower electrochemical series, like copper and iron.
Conclusion: There are so many uses of sodium hydroxide solution in commercial, domestic, and industrial products. Today, keeping homes and business places safe is of paramount importance. Most home and business cleaning chemicals have sodium hydroxide components.
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