Oil Chem Manufacturing Company

As its name implies, caustic soda is caustic and one of many alkaline compounds that are referred to as lye. NaOH, or pure sodium hydroxide, at room temperature is an odorless, white solid.

Caustic soda should be used with caution, as it is an alkaline corrosive that can be hazardous. When it reacts with moisture in the air, it dissolves, generating heat. This heat may cause nearby flammable materials to ignite, resulting in a fire. It should be safely stored in a dry, cool and well-ventilated place, away from oxidizing or organic materials. It should not be allowed to come into contact with metal powders or acids.

Although caustic soda is not a systemic toxin, it is however extremely corrosive and can cause severe burns to body tissues. The eyes are particularly at risk, as caustic soda is able to hydrolyze protein, which is often the cause of severe eye damage.

Sodium hydroxide is used in many industries, mostly as a strong chemical base in the manufacture of pulp and paper, textiles, drinking water, soaps and detergents and as a drain cleaner. Worldwide production in 2004 was approximately 60 million tonnes, while demand was 51 million tonnes.^[12]

Sodium hydroxide is a popular strong base used in industry. Around 56% of sodium hydroxide produced is used by industry, 25% of which is used in the paper industry. Sodium hydroxide is also used in the manufacture of sodium salts and detergents, pH regulation, and organic synthesis. It is used in the Bayer process of aluminium production.^[12] In bulk, it is most often handled as an aqueous solution,^[17] since solutions are cheaper and easier to handle.

Sodium hydroxide is used in many scenarios where it is desirable to increase the alkalinity of a mixture, or to neutralize acids.

For example, in the petroleum industry, sodium hydroxide is used as an additive in drilling mud to increase alkalinity in bentonite mud systems, to increase the mud viscosity, and to neutralize any acid gas (such as hydrogen sulfide and carbon dioxide) which may be encountered in the geological formation as drilling progresses.