What is Sodium Carbonate (Soda Ash) ?

Soda ash, the trade name for sodium carbonate (Na2CO3), is a white, anhydrous, powdered or granular material. It is an essential raw material used in the manufacturing of glass, detergents chemicals and other industrial products.

Sodium carbonate has been used in manufacturing for over 5,000 years. Ancient Egyptians used it to make glass ornaments and vessels. They recovered the product from dry lake-bed deposits or by burning seaweed and other marine plants. The Romans also used soda ash for baking bread, making glass and for medicinal purposes. Its extraction from the ashes of various plants continued until the middle of the 19th century and gave it the present-day name of "soda ash".

Soda ash is made in two main grades - light and dense. These have the same chemical properties and only differ in physical characteristics, such as bulk density and particle size and shape (which affect flow characteristics and angle of repose).

When companies process and produce soda ash, a number of other sodium compounds are made as co-products, including sodium bicarbonate (also known as baking soda), sodium sulfite, sodium tripolyphosphate, and chemical caustic soda.

Product usage :

Soda ash is an essential raw material used in many applications such as the manufacture of glass, detergents and soaps, chemicals and many other industrial processes.

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