What are the Commercial uses of sodium

Commercial uses of sodium are often not considered when thinking about the applications of this element. Sodium is one of the most common elements on Earth and is the sixth most abundant element by mass in our planet's crust. This blog will discuss some of the commercial uses for sodium to show that it has many applications outside of your everyday table salt use.

Sodium can be found in many different products ranging from medical supplies, food, plastic resin, soap, and even toothpaste; all using sodium as a component to create their specific product. In addition to these very common uses for sodium seen in our everyday life, there are a few other ways it can be used commercially without any direct contact with human skin or ingestion.

Commercial uses of sodium

1. Pharmaceuticals

It is the use of sodium in the pharmaceutical industry that makes it one of the most popular commercial uses of this element. Sodium is used to create liquid chemicals and create capsules as it has a high melting point. It is impermeable, meaning it can withstand temperatures low enough to be frozen and used as a freezer gel. It can also be used to create granular or powdered forms. As mentioned earlier, sodium can be used as an ingredient in the making of capsules or tablets that will draw liquids into them based on the amount of sodium you put into them. This process is used for many different drugs, including insulin.

2. Detergents

Sodium is also a component in detergents to help manufacture soaps, shampoos and other cleaners. In these cleaners, sodium is the main component used to create a solution that helps remove oil or grease from surfaces. Sodium can be found in household cleansers, dishwashing soap, laundry detergent and glass cleaners in addition to many other commercial uses of sodium.

3. Soap and toothpaste

Sodium is naturally found in soap and toothpaste as sodium lauryl sulfate and sodium lauryl ether sulfate respectively. Both of these chemical compounds are surfactants that help to foam up soap and toothpaste and they are used in the making of many commercial products. Sodium is also used to make special soaps that are designed for washing the face or hands.

4. Plastic resin

Sodium is also a component in resins, which are chemicals used in the recycling of plastic, wood or other materials. It is often added to make plastics stronger, flexible and transparent. The sodium will replace the hydrogen bonds within the polymer chains to create a stronger plastic material. It is one of the most commonly used chemicals as it can be recycled as many times as you want by adding it back into a liquid form and recycling it again.

5. Food

Sodium is also a component in some foods, although they are usually not seen on the ingredient list. Sodium salts (dihydrogen orthophosphate) are used to make salt and sodium chloride is the main type of table salt found in grocery stores. Both of these compounds are cheaper than other types of table salt because they don't contain as much iodine and can be more easily mined in more remote places. It allows for a lower expense on production and distribution for consumers when compared to other types of salts found on the market like potassium chloride or sodium carbonate. However, as a result, both compounds are more likely to cause health issues like hyperactivity and muscle weakness if ingested in high doses.

6. Household cleaners

Sodium hydroxide is also commonly used in the making of other household products such as drain cleaner, drain openers and other types of cleaners. It is also often found in most bleaches to create a basic solution that is added to water to generate chlorine. Its strong alkaline base allows it to neutralize almost all acids and bases, including those usually found in household products like bleach or detergent. The addition of sodium ions into the mix creates a more powerful cleaning solution that can help brighten up your room without damaging surfaces or fabrics often found in clothing, carpets and flooring materials. These compounds are also used to remove stains from fabric while they are hanging on a line or drying after use.

In conclusions, sodium is one of the most common elements found in our everyday life, therefore it has many applications, especially in the pharmaceutical industry, where it can be used to create liquid chemicals and capsules. Sodium is also a common chemical found in detergents, household cleaners, soap and toothpaste as well as food items. To conclude this blog post, sodium is also a commonly used chemical found in plastic resin and detergents that help manufacture soaps and cleaning products.