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Sodium hydroxide

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15 articles

Safety & HandlingSep 30, 2026 19 min

Does Baking Soda and Vinegar Unclog Drains? What the Chemistry Says

Not reliably. Baking soda and vinegar react with each other, not with the clog: the fizz is the two cancelling out into sodium acetate, water and carbon dioxide gas, and what is...

Water & EnvironmentalSep 28, 2026 21 min

New Orleans Drinks the Mississippi: The Water Treatment Chemistry Behind the Tap at WEFTEC 2026

New Orleans gets all of its drinking water from the Mississippi River, which drains 41% of the lower 48 states. The Sewerage and Water Board of New Orleans (SWBNO) cleans it up...

Chemical & Product GuidesJul 30, 2026 17 min

Caustic Soda (Sodium Hydroxide): Grades, Concentrations, and Why Its Price Follows Chlorine

Caustic soda is sodium hydroxide, a strong alkali with the formula NaOH and CAS number 1310-73-2. Produced by electrolysis of salt water, it is always generated alongside chlorine in a fixed ratio...

Chemical & Product GuidesJul 30, 2026 16 min

Bioreactor CIP Chemistry: Caustic Soda, Nitric Acid, Passivation and pH Control for Precision Fermentation

Bioreactor CIP chemistry is the use of sodium hydroxide (NaOH) and nitric or phosphoric acid in a five-stage clean-in-place cycle for precision fermentation equipment. The process runs a pre-rinse, a caustic wash...

Emerging TechnologyJul 17, 2026 15 min

The Chemistry of Photonics Manufacturing: How AR Waveguides & Silicon Photonics Are Cleaned, Etched & Dried

Photonics manufacturing — the fabrication of optical waveguides, silicon-photonic chips, and augmented-reality (AR) optics — relies on the same wet-chemistry backbone as semiconductor fabs: Piranha solution (concentrated sulfuric acid + hydrogen peroxide,...

Water & EnvironmentalJun 19, 2026 17 min

Sodium Hydroxide in Direct Air Capture: How Caustic Soda Pulls CO₂ From the Sky

Sodium hydroxide (NaOH, CAS 1310-73-2) is the low-cost, most-studied alkaline absorbent for liquid direct air capture (DAC). It pulls carbon dioxide straight out of ambient air by the reaction CO2 + 2 NaOH...

Industrial ApplicationsMay 20, 2026 15 min

Car Dipping: The 3-Tank Process That Strips Paint and Kills Rust on a Whole Car Body

Car dipping is a 3-tank chemical immersion process that strips paint and kills rust on whole car bodies. The body is dunked sequentially in (1) a hot sodium hydroxide (NaOH) caustic bath...

Industrial ApplicationsOct 1, 2025 16 min

The Chemist's Guide to Sodium Hydroxide for Precision Optical Cleaning

Behind every flawless laser lens and semiconductor wafer is a journey through a precisely controlled chemical bath. This definitive guide for engineers and lab managers explains the critical role of high-purity Sodium...

Emerging TechnologyAug 18, 2025 16 min

The Professional's Guide to Industrial Degreasing & Surface Preparation

In any high-performance industry, the final product is only as good as its foundation. A flawless coating, a perfect weld, or a reliable circuit board all depend on one critical, often overlooked...

Industrial ApplicationsJun 4, 2025 27 min

The Alchemist's Toolkit: Essential Acids & Bases in Modern Metal Finishing & Electroplating

Essential acids and bases in modern metal finishing and electroplating are chemical agents such as Nitric Acid (HNO₃), Sulfuric Acid (H₂SO₄), Hydrochloric Acid (HCl), and Ammonium Hydroxide (Aqua Ammonia), each serving critical...

Industrial ApplicationsMay 8, 2025 60 min

Safeguarding Your Operations: A Comprehensive Guide to Neutralizing Spent Sodium Hydroxide Baths

Sodium hydroxide (NaOH), also known as caustic soda or lye, is a highly caustic inorganic compound with the formula NaOH, consisting of sodium cations (Na⁺) and hydroxide anions (OH⁻). It is widely...

Emerging TechnologyFeb 26, 2025 21 min

Powering the Lithium Boom: Essential Chemicals for High-Efficiency Extraction

Lithium extraction chemicals are industrial acids, bases, and specialty reagents essential for converting lithium-bearing minerals and brines into battery-grade lithium compounds. The most widely used chemicals in these processes are sulfuric acid...

Safety & HandlingFeb 13, 2025 14 min

Brewing Perfection: How CIP (Clean-In-Place) Systems and Chemicals Transform Breweries & Distilleries

Optimize your brewery operations with industrial-grade CIP chemicals to eliminate beerstone and ensure consistent flavor profiles.

Safety & HandlingJun 25, 2023 21 min

Sodium Hydroxide (Lye) Uses: From the Industrial Revolution to Modern Industry

Sodium hydroxide (NaOH, also called lye or caustic soda) is a strong base used to make organic and inorganic chemicals, pulp and paper, soaps and detergents, alumina for aluminum, rayon and textiles,...

Industrial ApplicationsJun 18, 2023 19 min

Magic of the Molecule: The Crucial Role of Sodium Hydroxide in Soap Creation and Drain Maintenance

Discover the magic of the Sodium Hydroxide molecule in our latest blog post, where we explore its crucial role in soap creation and drain maintenance. Learn the difference between Sodium Hydroxide flakes...

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15 articles

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