Sodium hydroxide (NaOH), also known as lye and caustic soda, is a caustic metallic base.

It is used in many industries, mostly as a strong chemical base in the manufacture of pulp and paper, textiles, drinking water, soaps and detergents and as a drain cleaner.
Production:-

Sodium hydroxide is industrially produced as a 50 % solution by variations of the electrolytic chloralkali process. Chlorine gas is also produced in this process. Solid sodium hydroxide is obtained from this solution by the evaporation of water. Solid sodium hydroxide is most commonly sold as flakes, prills, and cast blocks.[1]

Chloralkali electrolysis

Basic membrane cell used in the electrolysis of brine. Main article: Chloralkali process Sodium hydroxide is produced (along with chlorine and hydrogen) via the chloralkali process. This involves the electrolysis of an aqueous solution of sodium chloride. The sodium hydroxide builds up at the cathode, where water is reduced to hydrogen gas and hydroxide ion: 2 Na+ + 2 H2O + 2 e H2 + 2 NaOH More accurately: 2 Na+Cl + 2 H2O + 2 e H2 + 2 Cl + 2 NaOH The Cl ions are oxidized to chlorine gas at the anode. To produce NaOH it is necessary to prevent reaction of the NaOH with the chlorine. This is typically done in one of three ways, of which the membrane cell process is economically the most viable.

Mercury cell process (also called the Castner-Kellner process); sodium ions are reduced to sodium metal, which forms an amalgam with a mercury cathode; this sodium is then reacted with water to produce NaOH. There have been concerns about mercury releases, although modern plants claim to be safe in this regard.[4]

Diaphragm cell process; uses a steel cathode, and the reaction of NaOH with Cl2 is prevented using a porous diaphragm, often made of asbestos fibers. In the diaphragm cell process the anode area is separated from the cathode area by a permeable diaphragm. The brine is introduced into the anode compartment and flows through the diaphragm into the cathode compartment. A diluted caustic brine leaves the cell. The sodium hydroxide must usually be concentrated to 50% and the salt removed. This is done using an evaporative process with about three tonnes of steam per tonne of sodium hydroxide. The salt separated from the caustic brine can be used to saturate diluted brine. The chlorine contains oxygen and is purified by liquefaction and evaporation.[5][6] Membrane cell process; similar to the diaphragm cell process, with a Nafion membrane to separate the cathode and anode reactions. Only sodium ions and a little water pass through the membrane. It produces a higher quality of NaOH. Of the three processes, the membrane cell process requires the lowest consumption of electric energy and the amount of steam needed for concentration of the caustic is relatively small (less than one tonne per tonne of sodium hydroxide).[5][7]

Sr. # 1 2 3 4

Properties Appearance Molecular weight

Solubility in water Density

White semi-transparent solid 40.00

1110 g dm3 (at 20 C) 2.13 g cm3

6 7 8 9 10

Boiling Point Melting Point Vapor Pressure (mm Hg)

Acidity (pKa) Refractive index (nD)

182 0C (360 0F) 43 0C (109 0F)

<18 mmHg (at 20 C)

13
1.412