Caustic soda uses

Caustic soda is an alkali salt which is also called Lye. It is the common name of sodium hydroxide. This name is given due to the corrosive nature of this salt on animal and plant tissues. It has a wide range of applications. The chemical formula of sodium hydroxide is NaOH.

Food Production

Caustic soda is used in several food processing applications, such as olive treatment. It also helps to brown pretzels to give them crunchy characteristics. This component is used to remove the skin from tomatoes, potatoes, and other fruits and vegetables for canning.

It also acts as an ingredient in food preservation that helps prevent mold and bacteria from growing in food.

Wood and Paper Products

In many paper-making processes, wood is treated with a solution containing sodium sulfide and sodium hydroxide. This implication results in the pure cellulose which is the basis of manufacturing paper sheets. 

Most of the impurities such as lignin, oleoresin and waxes are separated from the raw wood by using the caustic soda in the pulp and paper industry.

In the paper recycling process, sodium hydroxide is used to separate the ink from the paper fibers allowing them to be reused.

Detergents

Caustic soda is used for the production of detergents. These detergents can be used for several cleaning purposes. For example, it is used in parts washer machines to remove stains from the surface of materials. Caustic soda-based detergents are potent and aggressive cleaning chemicals.

Production of inorganic chemicals

Caustic soda is used to produce sodium hypochlorite (bleaching chemical). It synthesizes sodium cyanide and zeolites. It is also used to manufacture filler compounds such as sodium silicates and sodium phosphates.

Textile production

There is a wide range of uses of caustic soda in the textile industry. It is used as a base medium for dyes used in textile and is also used to produce artificial fiber, Rayon.

Petroleum industry

Caustic soda is used in the petroleum industry as an additive for drilling purposes. This provides cooling and lubrication to the surrounding area and also decreases the corrosion of drilling materials produced by acidic components.