A Short Note on Uses of Sodium Hydroxide

Sodium Hydroxide is a strong base that is a liquid at room temperature. It reacts with water to form hydrogen gas and heat (causes explosion). There are many uses for Sodium Hydroxide in different industries, including the textile industry, but it must be handled carefully. The article is about sodium hydroxide and its uses. It explains how the substance reacts with water to produce heat and become a corrosive liquid that can be used to clean both metals and textiles. It is one of the most commonly used chemicals for industrial purposes due to its versatility in matters of metallurgy.

Sodium Hydroxide

Sodium hydroxide is an ionic compound composed of sodium (Na) and Hydroxide ions (OH-). It has also been called lye and caustic soda. Laundry detergents, certain soaps, glass cleaners, and a variety of other household products contain sodium hydroxide.

Properties of Sodium Hydroxide

Composition: As a solid, it is white crystals of high purity. However, most commercially available sodium hydroxide contains impurities such as water, metal oxides, and other chemicals that give some colour to the solid.

Formula: NaOH

Melting Point (℃): NaOH is extremely hygroscopic; therefore, it can be considered as a liquid at room temperature, which results in its high reactivity with water.

Boiling Point (kPa): NaOH is a very powerful and dangerous chemical. It can explode when the reaction between it and water takes place. The boiling point of sodium hydroxide solutions is −5.5 °C.

Appearance: Light yellow crystals or white crystals are the most common forms of sodium hydroxide. When solid sodium hydroxide is treated in the flame, it burns with a blackish flame; this is because of the presence of silicon dioxide, which leads to the formation of sodium silicate and sodium metal.

Density (g/cm3): 2.4

Solubility in Water: Even though it has a high melting point and low density, it dissolves easily in water. It dissolves when thoroughly mixed with water and forms an alkaline solution. The sodium hydroxide solution can be coloured with the addition of food dyes.

Reaction with Water: When sodium hydroxide reacts with water, it forms a highly caustic base, which causes rapid corrosion of skin and other tissues on contact.

Uses of Sodium Hydroxide

• Sodium hydroxide is used in many industries such as water purification, photography, and cosmetics.

• Sodium hydroxide is used in the chemical, textile, and water treatment industries. It can be used to bleach wool and in removing dye.

• Sodium hydroxide has been found to be a more efficient oxidiser than chlorine, and thus it is a chemical of choice for industrial wastewater treatment.

• It is used in water treatment and wastewater treatment plants because of its ability to absorb other wastes and pollutants from water.

• Sodium hydroxide is widely used to control pH levels in sewage treatment plants. It is also used for the recovery of valuable metals such as aluminium, copper, lead, zinc, and others. Due to its strong nature, sodium hydroxide can dissolve or attack other materials such as glass and certain fabrics even though it does not dissolve well in water.

• Sodium hydroxide is used in many soap and toothpaste manufacturing plants and laboratories.

Sodium Hydroxide Uses in the Textile Industry

The textile industry uses sodium hydroxide as it helps in the removal of dye from the fabric; this is mainly done in the washing process.

Sodium hydroxide is used in bleach to remove the bleaching agent from the fabric. It is also used as a rinsing aid to remove fabric after it has been bleached. It can also be used as a detergent for removing stains and dirt on fabrics.

Sodium hydroxide is used during the dying process to lower the temperature during which the fabric’s colour is removed. It also helps in removing colour from fabrics by preventing the formation of light colours. As long as it does not exceed a certain limit, a sodium hydroxide solution is safe on non-bleached fabrics.

Sodium Hydroxide Uses in Water Treatment

Sodium hydroxide can be used to bleach water and remove dirt, stains and build upon pipes. It is a powerful chemical and can cause serious damage to the environment and people. If a water supply line is exposed to sodium hydroxide, it should not be left open as sodium hydroxide can combine with copper and expand, causing corrosion of copper pipes.

Sodium hydroxide reacts with metals such as aluminium and iron to produce chlorides in the water treatment process. It also forms oxides of sodium (NaO) which are also called chlorides.

Conclusion

Sodium hydroxide is a chemical compound with the chemical formula NaOH. Sodium Hydroxide is a strong base that is used as a cleaning agent in many industries. It should be handled with care since it can cause serious injuries if it comes in contact with skin while at the same time destroying many materials (glass, fabrics). The textile industry uses sodium hydroxide to remove dye from fabrics. Sodium hydroxide is used to bleach water and remove dirt, stains and build upon pipes. It is also used for recovering valuable metals, for example, aluminium, copper, lead, etc.