Detailed Product Description:

 

White, crystalline powder, odorless, alkaline taste.  Soluble in

 

water and glycerol.  Insoluble in alcohol.  Non combustible.

 

 

 

Product Grade & Purity:

 

This is ACS Reagent Grade, minimum 99.5% purity

 

 

 

Background:

 

Sodium carbonate (also known as washing soda or soda ash), is

 

a sodium salt of carbonic acid.  It has a cooling alkaline taste, and

 

can be extracted from the ashes of many plants.  It is synthetically

 

produced in large quantities from table salt in a process known as

 

the Solvay process.

 

 

 

Applications

 

The most important use for sodium carbonate is in the chemical

 

make-up of glass.  When heated at very high temperatures, combined

 

with sand (SiO2) and calcium carbonate (CaCO3), and cooled very

 

rapidly, glass is produced.

 

 

 

Sodium carbonate is also used as a relatively strong base.  For example,

 

it is used as a pH regulator to maintain stable alkaline conditions

 

necessary for the action of the majority of developing agents.  It is

 

a common additive in municipal pools used to neutralize the acidic

 

effects of chlorine and raise pH.

 

 

 

In domestic use, it is used as a water softener.  It competes with the

 

magnesium and calcium ions in hard water and prevents them from

 

bonding with the detergent being used.  Without using washing soda,

 

additional detergent is needed to soak up the magnesium and calcium

 

ions.  Called Washing Soda or Sal Soda in the detergent section of

 

stores, it effectively removes oil, grease, and alcohol stains.  Sodium

 

carbonate is also used as a de-scaling agent in boilers such as found in

 

coffee pots, espresso machines, etc.

 

 

Sodium carbonate may be used for safely cleaning silver.  Aluminum foil

 

is added to a glass or ceramic container, and covered with hot water and

 

some sodium carbonate.  Silver items are dipped into this "bath" to clean

 

them, making sure the silver makes contact with the aluminum foil.  Finally,

 

the silver is rinsed in water and allowed to dry.

 

 

 

Precautions:

 

Inhalation of dust may cause irritation.  Slightly toxic by

 

ingestion.  May cause severe irritation to eyes.

 

 

 

Download, read and understand the MSDS and the hazards

 

and precautions involved with handling this substance.

 

 

 

Click here to download MSDS (Material Safety Data Sheet)

 

 

 

Packaging:

 

Contents of 200 grams comes packed in 250ml sized wide-mouth

 

HDPE Nalgene laboratory quality bottle.