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Uses |
Sodium Sulfate Applications in the Past, Present and Future
Sodium sulfate is a chemical compound that can be found as a mineral in nature or derived from certain
industrial processes as a byproduct. It has many commercial applications, and is classified as a nontoxic
chemical under normal handling circumstances. Inspection of practically any bottle or package of soap or
detergent product will reveal some form of sodium sulfate, and it is also used in other manufacturing
industries such as paper and textiles.
Use in Soaps and Detergents
Although the need is slowly being reduced, a large amount of sodium sulfate has been used in powdered
detergents as filler during the last 30 years. This took place because phosphates, which were traditionally
used as fillers in powder detergents, were discovered to be detrimental to the environment. However,
sodium sulfate use has begun declining as well, the need for filler has gone down, due to the trend toward
using concentrated liquid detergents instead of bulkier powder formulas. It is still used in carpet powders
and window defrosting applications.
Textiles
Approximately 100,000 tons of sodium sulfate are utilized annually in Japan and the U.S. for dyeing
textiles. It is an ideal compound for this purpose, because it does not corrode the stainless steel vessels as
sodium chloride (which can also be used in this manner) does. Sodium sulfate is a leveling agent,
reducing negative chargers on the fibers, which allows the dyes to penetrate evenly. Sodium sulfate is a
byproduct of rayon production, and when there was a decreased need for Japanese rayon, the U.S. was
able to fulfill the need for the compound that Japan had previously supplied.
Wood Pulp
One notable use for sodium sulfate compound is in the Kraft process, also known as the sulfate process,
of wood pulp manufacturing which is widely used to make paper products and building supplies.
Although other processes are now used, the Kraft process has been the dominant method of wood
pulping since the 1940s.The technology involves impregnating wood chips with sodium sulfate; the
wood is heated, causing a reduction of the sodium sulfate into sodium sulfide. This breaks the bond in the
cellulose of the wood, making it malleable and able to be extruded.
Glass
Sodium sulfate is used in the glass industry as well. European glassmakers consume a significant amount
of sodium sulfate per year, using up to approximately 110,000 tons per annum. The U.S. utilizes about
30,000 tons in glass making, as well. Sodium sulfate prevents scum formation by the molten glass during
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refining, and also fluxes the glass. The compound also acts as a fining agent in molten glass, removing
small air bubbles and imperfections during the blowing and casting processes.
Drying and Thermal Storage
In the laboratory, sodium sulfate is often used as an inert drying compound for organic materials. It
removes water from compounds reliably at temperatures below 30° C (86° F). Another main use of
sodium sulfate is in thermal storage. It has been utilized as a solar heat storage component since the
1950s, because it has a high heat storage capacity and does not change from a solid to a liquid until 90 °
F (32 ° C). Sodium sulfate is used to store heat in thermal tiles, and put into cells surrounded by solar
heated water, as well as in some computercooling and insulating applications.
Sodium sulfate is still widely in use today, and should continue to be so for some time. Even though
some manufacturing processes are phasing out use of the compound, other purposes are continuing to be
found. Sodium sulfate’s unique heat storage properties make it an ideal candidate for use in many future
processes and products.
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