Caustic Soda Flakes

Brief Overview

Caustic soda flakes, also referred to as sodium hydroxide flakes, are solid, white material characterized by a crystalline structure. They exhibit strong hygroscopic properties, which means they readily absorb moisture from the atmosphere. When dissolved in water, caustic soda flakes completely dissolve, producing a highly corrosive soda lye and generating substantial heat in the process.

Manufacturing Process

There are few methods of the manufacturing process or how to make caustic flakes, which by metathesis reaction and chloralkali process.

Metathesis Reaction

By reacting sodium carbonate with calcium hydroxide, sodium hydroxide, and calcium carbonate is produced. These products can be easily separated by filtration as calcium carbonate is not soluble whereas sodium hydroxide is highly soluble. The solution will then be purified, processed, and standardized for industrial consumption. 

Chloralkali Process

With the electrolysis of sodium chloride solution, solid sodium hydroxide is manufactured and obtained with the evaporation of water. Chlorine gas is also produced as the main by-product. This is done through three main types of cells, mainly mercury cell, diaphragm cell, and the membrane cell.

Pulp and Paper
It is used in the pulp and paper industry during the cooking process and oxygen delignification process.

Textiles
It is employed in the textile industry during the scouring process, mercerization process, and dyeing process.

Soap and Detergents
It is applied during the saponification process in soap industries and neutralization process in detergent industries.

Metallurgy
It is used to extract alumina from bauxite ore via the Bayer process.

Other applications
It is employed to produce an array of organic and inorganic chemicals, oil drilling and petroleum products, bio-diesel production, environmental protection, pharmaceuticals, etc.