Sodium carbonate, Na2CO3, (also known as washing soda, soda ash and soda crystals) is the inorganic compound with the formula Na2CO3 and its various hydrates. All forms are white, water-soluble salts. All forms have a strongly alkaline taste and give moderately alkaline solutions in water. Historically it was extracted from the ashes of plants growing in sodium-rich soils. Because the ashes of these sodium-rich plants were noticeably different from ashes of wood (once used to produce potash), sodium carbonate became known as "soda ash".[12] It is produced in large quantities from sodium chloride and limestone by the Solvay process. Soda ash is one of the most  important chemical raw materials and is widely used in chemical, glass, metallurgy, paper making, printing & dyeing, synthetic detergent, petrochemical, foodstuff, medicine & sanitation industries, etc. With a large consumption, it occupies a crucial place in national economy.

Application:

1. The manufacture of glass is one of the most important uses of sodium carbonate. When it is combined with silica (SiO2) and calcium carbonate (CaCO3) and heated to very high temperatures, then cooled very rapidly, glass is produced. This type of glass is known as soda lime glass.

 2. Soda ash also is used to clean the air and soften water.

 3. Manufacture of Caustic Soda and dyestuffs

 4. metallurgy: in the processing of steel and extraction of iron etc.

 5. Detergent : It is used as detergent in wool rinsing,medicine and tanning.

 6. National defense and some other aspects, such as rock oil refining, paper manufacturing, paint, salt refining, softening of hard water, soap, medicine , food and so on.

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