Caustic soda

Sodium hydroxide (lat. Natrii hydroxidum; other names - caustic soda, caustic, caustic soda, caustic lye) is the most common alkali, chemical formula NaOH. Caustic soda is used in many industries and for domestic purposes:
Caustic is used in the pulp and paper industry for delignification (sulfate process) pulp, in the manufacture of paper, cardboard, synthetic fibers, fibreboard.
For the saponification of fats in the manufacture of Soaps, shampoo and other detergents. In ancient times, during washing in water was added to the ash, and, apparently, the hostess noticed that if the ash contains fat, trapped in the hearth during the cooking, the dishes are well washed. About the profession of soap (saponaria) was first mentioned around 385 ad Theodor Priscianus. The Arabs boiled soap from oils and soda from the VII century, today's Soaps are made the same way as 10 centuries ago. Currently products on the basis of sodium hydroxide (with the addition of potassium hydroxide, heated to 50-60 degrees Celsius, are used in industrial cleaning for cleaning of stainless steel products from grease and other oily substances and residues machining.
In chemical industries, for the neutralization of acids and acidic oxides, as a reagent or catalyst in chemical reactions, chemical analysis, titration, for etching aluminum in the production of pure metals, oil processing, for the production of oils.
For the manufacture of biodiesel is produced from vegetable oils and used to replace conventional diesel fuel. To produce biodiesel to nine mass units of vegetable oil is added to one mass unit of alcohol (that is, the observed ratio of 9 :1), and an alkaline catalyst (NaOH). The ester (mainly linoleic acid) has good combustibility provide a high cetane number. Cetane number of conventional quantitative characterization of samovosplameneniem Physico-chemical characteristics of caustic soda