Soda Ash Supplier in Kenya
GIKA Chemicals is a huge supplier of Soda Ash in Kenya. Soda Ash has many uses ranging from helping in mining and smelting to manufacturing glass.
Soda Ash is used in the mining and smelting of various metals, especially alumina products. Importantly, it is also used in the manufacture of Lithium Carbonate, used in Lithium Ion batteries, used extensively in electric powered cars and other mobile devices.
Soda ash is used to remove chemicals that cause non-carbonate hardness. When lime and soda ash are added, hardness-causing minerals form nearly insoluble precipitates. Calcium hardness is precipitated as calcium carbonate (CaCO3).
RXSOL soda ash is a NATURAL SODA ASH, principally used in the glass industry, as it is highly suitable for the manufacture of bottles, jars, container glass, figured glass as well as flat glass. Other areas of use include:
1. Glass Manufacture - Soda ash is the chief source of the alkali constituent of glass and the RXSOL Soda Ash is increasingly used in the glass manufacturing industry. Sodium carbonate introduces sodium oxide or soda (Na2O) into the glass formulation. The soda acts as a fluxing agent, breaking the Si-O bonds of silica, thus reducing the viscosity of the melt and lowering the temperature required to form the glass.
2. Manufacture of sodium silicate and other sodium compounds – One of the common uses of RXSOL Soda Ash is in the production of Sodium Silicate. Soda Ash and silica sand are fused in a furnace at high temperatures, with the ratio of Na2O to SiO2 depending on the relative amounts of each used.
- Soda Ash is also used to produce sodium chromate, which is usually further processed to yield sodium dichromate or chromic acid. Chromium compounds are used in a number of applications, including pigments, preservatives (example wood and leather) catalysts, and chrome plating.
4. Formulation of detergents, soap and rayon - The largest single use of Soda Ash within the cleaning products category is in the formulation of household laundry detergent powders where it is added to build, buffer and dilute the detergent mixture. Soda Ash is incorporated in powdered soaps, detergents, and various specialty cleaning products for household, industrial, and commercial applications. It is added to emulsify oil stains, reduce re-deposition of dirt in wash cycles, provide alkalinity for cleaning and soften laundry water.
5. Soda Crystals Manufacture - The manufacture of soda crystals from RXSOL Soda Ash can readily be carried out. Soda crystals, which have the composition Na2CO3-10H2O, are made by cooling down hot, saturated, solutions of soda ash.
6. Water Softening - Water never occurs in a pure state in nature but always contains impurities in suspension or solution. Thus by adding the appropriate amounts of lime and soda ash, the calcium and magnesium in hard water is almost entirely removed. For cheap and efficient water softening, the use of lime and RXSOL Soda Ash, together with a small quantity of sodium aluminate, is recommended.
7. Pulp and paper industry – RXSOL Soda Ash is used by the pulp and paper industry primarily in the preparation of pulping liquors. The neutral sulfite semi chemical pulping process consumes the majority of the soda ash used. This process uses a weak solution of sodium sulfite prepared from sulfur dioxide and sodium carbonate. It can also be used to produce pulping liquors for other chemical pulping processes.
8. Steel and metallurgical industries – used in mining and smelting of various metals and minerals, especially in alumina productions. However, only 5.8% of sodium carbonate produced is consumed by this sector globally.
9. Caustic Liquor Manufacture - Certain industries such as the soap and mercerizing industries use solutions of caustic soda in large quantities to causticize soda ash with lime.
- Used in the textile, dyeing and bleaching industries, souring wool and cotton
Soda ash has a tendency to absorb moisture from the atmosphere. The moist soda ash then starts absorbing atmospheric carbon dioxide. This phenomenon of absorption of moisture and carbon dioxide by soda ash is known as weathering. After weathering, soda ash is likely to contain appreciable moisture and sodium bicarbonate, but the total alkali content of the bag does not change. Soda ash has a tendency to cake when it comes in contact with moisture and, consequently, becomes lumpy.
Light soda ash is one of the most important basic industrial chemicals. Light soda ash is used to regulate pH in many chemical process streams. The superior buffering capacity of soda ash versus caustic soda offers advantages in adjusting plant wastewater pH ranges.
Soda ash is used as the sodium source for sodium sulfite/bi-sulfite pulping liquors used in the sulfite, CMP, and CTMP processes, and in NSSC pulping.
It is also possible to replace a portion of the caustic soda in many pulp bleaching applications such as caustic extraction or hydrogen peroxide bleaching of mechanical or chemical pulps. However, the higher pH requirements of these applications may necessitate the continued use of some caustic soda.
It is also possible to replace a portion of the caustic soda in many pulp bleaching applications such as caustic extraction or hydrogen peroxide bleaching of mechanical or chemical pulps. However, the higher pH requirements of these applications may necessitate the continued use of some caustic soda.
In addition, it is the most widely used fixed alkali for the manufacture of other alkali products, sodium salts, glass, soap, sodium silicates, detergent, bicarbonates, bichromates, cellulose and rayon, iron and steel, aluminum, cleaning compounds, textiles and dyestuffs, drugs and many other materials. It is also used as an alkali for household purposes and as washing powder by laundries.
Why buy Caustic Soda from GIKA Chemicals?
A few of the reasons why you should buy soda ash from us include:
- Global Reach: We have stock-points across the globe so we can fulfill the needs of our customers all over the globe
- Quality Assurance: With our verified list of soda ash suppliers ensure the quality of the Sodium hydroxide.
- Fast Processing: Our experts process the enquiries quickly, connecting genuine caustic soda suppliers and buyers.
- Customer Service: Communications is the key! And, our support team keeps our customers happy.
