VYNOVA

Caustic soda is a versatile chemical used as an essential intermediate ingredient and acting as a powerful means to neutralise acids. Also known as sodium hydroxide or lye, caustic soda is used in the production of cotton and other fabrics along with the refining of vegetable and animal oils.

As a raw material for a wide range of chemicals, caustic soda derivatives are quite numerous - acting as a catalyst or fixer for sodium-based chemistry and during the production of glass and glass fibres, manufacturing of polycarbonates for home appliances and medical equipment, and for aluminium refinement and rubber vulcanisation.

Vynova provides the pulp and paper industry with access to numerous grades of caustic soda lye including 50% solution. The pulp and paper industry represents a major caustic soda commodity consumer where the chemical is utilised in multiple phases of the Kraft-pulping processing and aides in wood softening and swelling.

Caustic soda is used to increase the pH level during the pulping process. Other chemical pulping processes that employ sulfite or sulphate pulp production workflows will still use caustic soda within the pulping lye.  Caustic soda supports pulp cooking and processing, along with lignin extraction during the pulp bleaching process.

Caustic soda is the alkali which converts vegetable oils, tallow, and fats into soap.  It is also a vital component in the manufacture of anionic surfactants that are required to produce cleaning products and detergents. As an industrial chemical, it is widely used in the home and personal care markets.

From detergents and cleaners to cosmetics and fragrances, caustic soda is a technical ingredient used to neutralise or adjust the pH of solutions.  Following the chemical reactions when producing domestic care products, caustic soda is converted into new chemical compounds which add to the purity of soaps and cosmetics.

Caustic soda is used in water treatment facilities to increase water quality conditions and to achieve a final water pH of 7.5. As an acid neutraliser and pH adjustment chemical in the water treatment process stream, caustic soda is responsible for reducing pipe corrosion challenges facing water distribution infrastructures.

Injecting caustic soda into the water treatment process neutralises pH levels combating hardness in treated water. When added in combination with chlorine, the additional benefit of water disinfection is also accomplished. Available in various concentrations, caustic soda acts as a corrosion inhibitor, reducing the copper and lead content in water.