Caustic soda is an important raw material and also a material used in various chemical processes in many industries. The pulp and paper industry is one of the largest users of caustic soda products worldwide, where caustic soda is used as a raw material in the process. pulping dan bleaching. Caustic soda is also used in the waste paper recycling process, namely in the "de-inking" process of used paper, as well as being widely used in water treatment processes.
In the textile industry, caustic soda is used in cotton processing as well as in the dyeing process for synthetic fibers such as nylon and polyester. In the soap and detergent industry, caustic soda is used in saponification reactions, namely the conversion reaction of vegetable oils into soap. Caustic soda is also used in the manufacture of anionic surfactants, which are an important component in detergent and cleaning products. The oil and gas (oil and gas) industry utilizes caustic soda in the exploration, production and processing stages of oil and natural gas, where caustic soda is used to remove odors that come from hydrogen sulfide (H2S) and mercaptan. In the aluminum production process, caustic soda is used to dissolve bauxite ore, which is the raw material for aluminum production. In the chemical industry, caustic soda is used as a raw material or process chemical that produces various downstream chemical products, such as plastics, pharmaceuticals, solvents, synthetic fabrics, adhesives, dyes, paints, inks, and others. Caustic soda is also widely used to neutralize acidic waste and also to absorb components in acidic exhaust gases.
Examples of caustic soda applications that are used in small quantities include household cleaning products, drink bottle cleaners, small scale soap making, and others.