Sodium Carbonate or Soda Ash

Soda Ash or Washing Soda
Na₂CO₃

Sodium carbonate or soda ash is a sodium salt of carbonic acid. It is in the form of white crystalline compound with a cooling alkaline taste. It is found in the ashes of many plants. Artificially, it is produced in large quantities from common salt.

Physical and Chemical Properties of Sodium Carbonate

Appearance	White powder or granules
Odor	Odorless
Solubility	45.5 g/100 ml water @ 100°C (212°F)
Specific gravity	2.53
pH	11.6 Aqueous solution
% Volatiles by volume @ 21C (70F)	0
Boiling point	Decomposes
Melting point	851°C (1564°F)

Occurrences of Sodium Carbonate

Though sodium carbonate is soluble in water, but it can occur in arid regions naturally, particularly in the mineral deposits, which are formed when seasonal lakes evaporates. From the dry lake bottoms in Egypt, deposits of mineral natron (combination of sodium carbonate and sodium bicarbonate) have been mined since ancient times, at the time when natron was used in the preparation of mummies and in the early manufacture of glass.

Sodium carbonate has three known form of hydrates. They are:

• Sodium carbonate decahydrate
• Sodium carbonate heptahydrate
• Sodium carbonate monohydrate

Uses of Sodium Carbonate

• In the manufacturing of glass.
• In the manufacturing of chemicals, like sodium silicates and sodium phosphates.
• In the pulp and paper industries.
• In the manufacturing of detergents.
• For the treatment of water.
• As an alkaline agent in many chemical industries.