Soda ash light, Sodium carbonate (also known as washing soda, soda and soda crystals, and crystalline carbonate in monohydrate form such as Na 2 CO 3 ) is the water-soluble sodium salt of carbonic acid.
It is usually found as a crystalline decahydrate that is easily absorbed to form a white powder, monohydrate. Pure sodium carbonate is a hygroscopic (absorbs moisture from the air) white, odorless powder. It has a very alkaline taste and forms a moderately simple solution in water. Sodium carbonate is well known domestically for its daily use as a water softener. Historically, vegetation in the Middle East has been mined from the ashes of plants grown in sodium-rich soils, such as semen from Scotland and seaweed from Spain. The ashes of these sodium-rich plants differed markedly from timber ashes (used to create potash), becoming known as “soda ash”. [12] Synthetically, from salt (sodium chloride) and limestone,
Usage areas
It is used for bleaching laundry and especially tulle. Sodium carbonate precipitates ions that cause hardness in water as carbonate and removes them from the environment. In this way, it is used as a softener in washing machines.It is the most important chemical used in glass production. By combining sand and soda, it is heated to a very high temperature and suddenly cooled. This is how glass is produced.When reactive dye is used in the textile industry, sodium carbonate is used to form the bond between dye and fiber.As a food additive, it acts as an acid regulator, anti-caking agent and stabilizer. It is used in the production of sherbet powder.It acts as a wetting agent in brick making, so less water is needed when extruding clay.It is used as a foaming agent in toothpastes. It creates friction and raises the pH of the mouth.