Caustic Soda is a white component which is manufactured in different types including caustic soda flake, pearl and liquid. Although, all these types are caustic soda (NaOH), their applications and shapes are different.
In the following article, you can read more details about each type of caustic soda.
Caustic Soda Pearls (Granulated Caustic Soda)
Caustic soda pearl is designed for filtration applications such as mash filters and mash vessels.
There are other names for this group such as: Sodium Hydroxide Pearls, Beadles or Soda Grains.
It doesn’t have any special scent. It can resist temperatures up to 80 degrees Celsius, but above this temperature, it cannot perform well and its efficiency decreases.
This type of caustic soda is formed by a caustic soda solution. This solution goes through a 25 mesh grade (which is equal to 0.75mm) and then experiences a free fall from height, in order to be dried in a spherical shape. The result is small white balls, with diameters of 0.7mm.
Caustic Soda Flakes
Evaporation of caustic soda solution is a method to generate solid caustic soda flakes. The evaporation continues until there is no water left and what remains at the bottom of the tank, will be broken into tiny pieces and the result is called caustic soda flakes. The usual diameter of caustic soda flakes is between 0.8 mm and 1.2mm and it also has a white color.
The applications of caustic soda flakes are in Textile engineering, Manufacturing Soap and Detergents, Paper and pulp industries, and alumina refineries.
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Caustic Soda Liquid
Caustic soda liquid, in contrast to the previous types of caustic soda, which were white, is colorless.
The other names referring to this type of caustic soda are:
- Caustic soda 50%
- Sodium Hydroxide in an aqueous solution
- Lye solution
To produce the liquid caustic soda, in the first step, the electrolysis of Sodium Chloride solution should be done. The second step is fixing it to the desired concentration by adding or evaporating water.
On the other hand, solving the caustic soda directly into the water is another way to manufacture caustic soda liquid. The desired concentration of caustic soda in the solution is 50%, however, it can be thinner by adding water, or thicker, by solving more caustic soda, depending on your applications of interest.
Caustic soda liquid is a strong alkali. In cases that it goes into the eye, it could damage if you do not wash your eyes immediately and in the case of spilling on the skin, it causes harmful reddish burns. For more information on how to be safe while working with caustic soda, click here.
This type of caustic soda is also applicable to the same industries, but because it is liquid, it can cover more applications such as:
- Refining of cooking oils
- Animal breeding, beekeeping, fruit cultivation
- Water pH regulation
| Caustic Soda Types | Production Method | Color | Size | Important Application |
| Caustic Soda Pearls | FIltration through mesh grids | White | 0.6-0.8 mm | Filtration Application |
| Caustic Soda Flakes | Evaporating caustic soda solution to dry completely | White | 0.8-1.2mm | Pulp and Paper |
| Caustic Soda Liquid | Via electrolysis of Sodium Chloride solution | Colorless | Almost Nothing | Bleach Manufacturing |
Read about different uses of caustic soda:
Caustic Soda Uses in Pulp and Paper Industry
Caustic Soda Uses in Different Industries
FAQ
What is the difference between Caustic Soda Pearls and Flakes?
The caustic soda pearls are granular, while the caustic soda flakes are lamellar. This means that caustic soda pearls look very similar to fish eggs, while caustic soda flakes look like small flakes.
