Soda flake, granular soda ash, solid soda ash are all called sodium hydroxide, what is the difference?

Soda flakes, soda ash, solid soda ash are all different forms of sodium hydroxide (NaOH), commonly known as caustic soda, caustic soda, caustic soda, for inorganic compounds, strong corrosive, soluble in water, its aqueous solution is strongly alkaline, can make phenolphthalein turn red. Sodium hydroxide is an extremely common alkali, is one of the essential drugs in the chemistry laboratory, its solution can be used as a washing liquid, their differences are mainly reflected in the following aspects:

I. Appearance form

Flake alkali: usually presented as a flake, the thickness is usually about 1-2 mm, the size can be adjusted according to the production process and demand, usually rectangular or square flake.

Granular alkali: it is granular sodium hydroxide, the particle size is more uniform, usually in the form of round beads, the particle size is generally between 0.5-2 mm.

Solid soda ash: generally refers to the solid sodium hydroxide as a general term, but usually, solid soda ash is mostly in block form, its shape and size is not as regular as flake soda ash and granular soda ash, the block size is not the same.

Second, the production process

Caustic soda flake: the production process is relatively simple, is the caustic soda solution through evaporation and concentration, and then cooled and solidified into flakes. Generally, the caustic soda solution is heated in the evaporator to evaporate the water to reach a certain concentration, flow into the cooling drum, through the drum rotation and cooling, so that the caustic soda solution on the surface of the drum solidified into flakes, and then scraped by the scraper scraped down to get the caustic soda flake.

Granular alkali: the production process of granular alkali is more complicated, usually using spray drying method or granulation method. Spray drying method is a high concentration of caustic soda solution sprayed into the hot air, so that the solution is rapidly evaporated and dried to form particles; granulation method is the caustic soda flake heated and melted, through the special granulation equipment to make it form granules.

Solid Soda: The production process of solid soda is similar to that of caustic soda flake, also through the evaporation and concentration of caustic soda solution and cooling and solidification, but in the process of molding, it is not formed into flake through cooling drum like caustic soda, but cooled into block directly.

Third, the field of application

Caustic soda flake: Because of its flake structure, it is widely used in some occasions that require rapid dissolution and reaction. For example, it is used in chemical production for making soap, paper making, textile, printing and dyeing, etc.; in sewage treatment, it is used for adjusting the pH value of wastewater; in food processing industry, it can be used as acidity adjusting agent.

Granular alkali: Granular alkali has better mobility and solubility, and is more widely used in some fields with higher requirements for product purity and solubility. For example, in pharmaceutical industry, it is used for synthesizing and purifying drugs; in electronic industry, it is used for cleaning and etching processes; in cosmetic industry, it is used for adjusting the pH value of the products.

Solid Soda: Solid soda is relatively slow to dissolve due to its lumpy structure, but it is easy to store and transport. It is often used in some occasions which require high purity and large dosage of sodium hydroxide, such as petroleum refining, oil and grease processing and other industries.

Storage and transportation

Caustic soda flake: Caustic soda flake is easy to absorb moisture, need to pay attention to moisture when storing, generally use sealed packaging, stored in a dry and ventilated warehouse. During transportation, prevent the package from breaking and avoid contacting with water.

Granular alkali: The storage and transportation requirements of granular alkali are similar to those of flake alkali, but due to its granular structure, it is less prone to lumping phenomenon in the process of packaging and transportation compared with flake alkali, and it is more convenient for storage and transportation.

Solid Soda Ash: The storage and transportation of solid soda ash is relatively more convenient, due to its large block, it is not easy to absorb moisture and agglomeration, generally using sealed packaging, stored in dry warehouses can be. During transportation, it is also not easy to cause deterioration of the product due to package breakage.