Caustic Soda

Caustic Soda Latest News

The Environment (Protection) Second Amendment Rules, 2025 require caustic soda plants using membrane cell technology to pass a fish-survival test for wastewater toxicity. 

About Caustic Soda

• Caustic soda, also known as sodium hydroxide, is one of India’s most widely used industrial chemicals.
• Other names: Lye, soda lye, and sodium hydrate.
• It is produced by the electrolysis of aqueous solutions of sodium chloride (brine) or by reacting naturally occurring sodium carbonate with calcium hydroxide.

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Properties of Caustic Soda

• This compound is an alkali – a type of base that can neutralize acids and is soluble in water.
• At room temperature, sodium hydroxide is a white crystalline odorless solid that absorbs moisture from the air
• When dissolved in water or neutralized with acid it liberates substantial heat.
• Its solution appears as a colorless liquid and more dense than water.
• Its contact may severely irritate skin, eyes, and mucous membranes.
• It is corrosive to metals and tissue.

Applications of Caustic Soda

• It is used in industries such as soap, detergents, paper, textiles, aluminium, petrochemicals and water purification.
• It is also used in processing cotton fabric, laundering and bleaching, metal cleaning and processing, oxide coating, electroplating, and electrolytic extracting.

Source: DTE