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sodium carbonate

chemical compound
Also known as: soda ash

Quick Summary

Sodium carbonate, also known as soda ash, is a sodium salt of carbonic acid with the chemical formula Na2CO3. It is a hygroscopic, crystalline, anhydrous, and strongly alkaline salt. It occurs naturally as minerals like natron, trona, and thermonatrite.12

Sodium carbonate is a crucial chemical used in various industries, including the manufacturing of glass, detergents, and cleansers. It is also used in water softening, cleaning, bleaching, and photography. Historically, the Leblanc process was developed to produce sodium carbonate from common salt, but it was later replaced by the more efficient ammonia-soda (Solvay) process. Washing soda is a hydrated form of sodium carbonate, specifically sodium carbonate decahydrate, used for washing, particularly textiles.2134

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