General Chemical Industrial Products

It would be hard to go anywhere in today's world without being close to a product produced with or containing soda ash, because soda ash, known chemically as sodium carbonate (Na₂CO₃), is used virtually everywhere and has been a key raw material for thousands of years.

The Egyptians, for instance, made glass containers by a method that involved soda ash as early as 3500 B.C. The early Romans expanded its use beyond glass as an ingredient in medicinals and bread. And why is it called soda ash? Burned seaweed ashes were an early source of sodium carbonate. It was often called soda ash or, simply, soda.

Today, soda ash is an essential ingredient in many familiar products.

Glass

According to the U.S. Geological Survey, approximately 30 percent of domestic soda ash shipments are for glass production, including flat glass and mirrors, bottles for beverages, jars for food, insulation, televisions, lighting, glassware, and labware.

Most glass manufactured is the soda-lime-silica type. Silica (i.e., sand) is the glass forming oxide, lime imparts chemical stability and the soda ash acts as the fluxing agent. Soda ash is an essential constituent in that it reduces the furnace temperature necessary to melt the silica, thus reducing the energy required to produce glass. It is generally used to supply the bulk of the alkali element because it is the most cost effective source of Na₂0. Dense soda ash is generally preferred over light ash in glass manufacture because the particles are of a similar size to silica sand. This enables a homogeneous mixing of raw materials and results in a high quality end product.

Chemicals

Another 15 percent of demand comes from the domestic chemical processing industry, where soda ash is a source of sodium ions in the production of sodium phosphates, sodium silicates, chrome chemicals and photographic chemicals. It's also used in the production of sodium bicarbonate (also known as baking soda), which is an essential ingredient in the beverage, coatings, detergents, food, dialysis, and personal care markets.

In several of these applications, soda ash and caustic soda are interchangeable raw materials. However, soda ash typically has a cost advantage over caustic soda, which has historically demonstrated more dramatic price fluctuations.

Soaps & Detergents

Soda ash is an important ingredient because it functions as a builder in the formulations of soaps, detergents and other cleaning compounds preparing wash water to achieve the desired level of soil removal. It also adds benefits as an agglomerating aid, a carrier for surfactants and as a source of alkalinity for pH adjustment.

Other Uses

Other domestic markets include water treatment, where soda ash helps control pH levels and softens water. In paper making, soda ash softens wood chips and controls the pH level in the pulp cooking process.

Where Soda Goes

Exports account for approximately 40 percent of US soda ash shipments. Major exports markets include Asia, Europe, and Latin America.

Soda ash is such a basic material that government and commerce agencies apply soda ash production statistics to gauge the health of the economy.

click to enlarge

All of the soda ash produced in the United States is natural soda ash, while overseas manufacturers produce, primarily, synthetic soda ash. Production of natural soda ash, in which General Chemical specializes, requires much less energy, capital, and raw materials than synthetic soda ash production, so it is a significantly less costly process. This cost differential allows General Chemical to competitively export significant volumes of natural soda ash to most international markets.

click above or here for brochure

General Chemical
Industrial Products Inc.

120 Eagle Rock Avenue
East Hanover, NJ 07936
Tel: (973) 599-5500

info@genchem.com