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Sodium Hydroxide
Sodium hydroxide is an inorganic compound with formula NaOH. It is a white solid ionic compound consisting of sodium cations Na+ and hydroxide anions OH-. Sodium hydroxide is a highly caustic base and alkali, that decomposes proteins at ordinary ambient temperatures and may cause severe chemical burns. It forms a series of hydrates NaOH.nH2O. The monohydrate sodium hydroxide (NaOH.H2O) crystallizes from water solutions between 12.3 and 61.8 °C.
The commercially available "sodium hydroxide" is often this monohydrate, and published data may refer to it instead of the anhydrous compound. Sodium hydroxide is used in many industries in the manufacture of pulp and paper, textiles, drinking water, soaps and detergents and as a drain cleaner.
At room temperature, sodium hydroxide is a white crystalline odorless solid that absorbs moisture from the air. It is a manufactured substance. When dissolved in water or neutralized with acid it liberates substantial heat, which may be sufficient to ignite combustible materials. Sodium hydroxide is very corrosive. It is generally used as a solid or a 50% solution. Other common names include caustic soda and lye. Sodium hydroxide is used to manufacture soaps, rayon, paper, explosives, dyestuffs, and petroleum products. It is also used in processing cotton fabric, laundering and bleaching, metal cleaning and processing, oxide coating, electroplating, and electrolytic extracting. It is commonly present in commercial drain and oven cleaners.
Because of its high-level alkalinity, sodium hydroxide in aqueous solution directly causes bond breakage in proteins (especially disulfide bridges). Hair and fingernails are found to be dissolved after 20 hours of direct contact with sodium hydroxide at pH values higher than 9.2.
Caustic Soda has depilatory effects which have been described after accidental contact with solutions in the workplace. The breakage of bonds in proteins may lead to severe necrosis to the application site. The level of corrosion depends on the period of contact with the tissue, and on the concentration of sodium hydroxide.
Sodium hydroxide is used to manufacture many everyday products, such as paper, aluminum, commercial drain and oven cleaners, and soap and detergents.
Human poisoning cases indicate that a dose of 10 grams orally is fatal. Sodium hydroxide is toxic by oral ingestion. It is corrosive to all tissues. Concentrated vapors lead to serious damage to the eyes and respiratory system. Oral ingestion of Lye, which occurs frequently in children, causes severe tissue necrosis, with stricture formation of the esophagus, often resulting in death. Contact with the skin may result in contact dermatitis, hair loss, as well as necrosis due to severe irritation. Increased incidence of esophageal carcinoma after severe intoxication with caustic soda has been reported in man. In animal studies, long-term dermal contact with substances leading to pH changes in the skin causes the development of tumors, as a result of severe tissue irritation and reparative cell growth. Mutagenic for mammalian somatic cells. May cause damage to the following organs: mucous membranes, upper respiratory tract, skin, eyes. Tumors are not to be expected if the effects of irritation are prevented. To date, there are no relevant studies of the prenatal toxic effects of lye.
Solid form ( Flake ): In 25 kg PP bags that can packed in (250 Kg Jumbo bag) or on pallets with shrinkage.
Liquid form: Flexi tanks and steel drums.