SODA Commercial roduction. Sodium carbonate in the form of s da ash is the princi pal form in which Comm rcial soda is pro duced although some of it is immediately trans formed into caustic soda. main source is salt and limestone treate by the Solvay process, but a small amount is made from natural sodium carbonate chiefly from water of Owens Lake in southeastern California. Some is also saved from wart water of pulp and paper mills and a few mils make sodium carbonate by an electrolytic pn ess employing carbon dioxide generated in line kilns.
Production of soda ash in 118 was 1,390, 628 short tons, valued at $35,63 ,520, or about the same tonnage as in 1917, valued at $38,028, 000. This does not include the soda ash con verted by the producers into caustic soda or sodium compounds to an amount estimated at 664,000 short tons in 1918 and 482,000 short tons in 1917. The total value of all sodium compounds produced in the United States in 1917 is estimated at $74,000,000. In 1917 eight companies made caustic soda from soda ash (358,081 tons), and 28 companies made 137,663 tons by reduction of sodium chloride by elec trolysis, in most cases utilizing the chlorine gas liberated. Some of the manufacturers use a
part of their product for technical processes of various kinds. Exports of soda ash in 1918 were 119,218 short tons, valued at $7,805,550, sent mostly to Japan, Canada, Argentina, Bra zil, Australia, Cuba and Chile. Considerable soda is imported into the United States, the total value in 1917 being about $74,000. Soda ash is used for making glass, soap, dyestuff, explosives and as washing materials; sodium compounds have replaced potassium wholly or in part in many technical processes. In 1917 there was sold 174,217 tons of cooking soda or sodium bicarbonate valued at $5,292,374 and 77,939 tons of washing soda valued at $1,698, 528. Caustic soda is used for making soap, pigments and wood pulp, in purifying oils and fats, in mercerizing cotton, as a general cleanser (lye) and in making dyes and phenol, the latter used for making such explosives as ammonium picrate and lyddite.
N. H. Diorrorr.