Sodium Hydroxide

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Sodium Hydroxide is a highly alkaline ingredient used in small amounts in cosmetics to establish and hold the pH of a product. It’s other common names are lye or caustic soda and in pure form or high concentrations, it’s a significant skin sensitizer. However, the very small amounts necessary to balance pH in cosmetics is generally considered safe.

Sodium Hydroxide (Wikipedia)

Sodium hydroxide, also known as lye and caustic soda, is an inorganic compound with the formula NaOH. It is a white solid ionic compound consisting of sodium cations Na+ and hydroxide anions OH.

Sodium hydroxide
Unit cell, spacefill model of sodium hydroxide
Sample of sodium hydroxide as pellets in a watchglass
Names
IUPAC name
Sodium hydroxide
Other names
  • Caustic soda
  • Lye
  • Ascarite
  • White caustic
  • Sodium hydrate
Identifiers
3D model (JSmol)
ChEBI
ChemSpider
ECHA InfoCard 100.013.805 Edit this at Wikidata
EC Number
  • 215-185-5
E number E524 (acidity regulators, ...)
68430
KEGG
MeSH Sodium+Hydroxide
RTECS number
  • WB4900000
UNII
UN number 1824, 1823
  • InChI=1S/Na.H2O/h;1H2/q+1;/p-1 checkY
    Key: HEMHJVSKTPXQMS-UHFFFAOYSA-M checkY
  • InChI=1/Na.H2O/h;1H2/q+1;/p-1
    Key: HEMHJVSKTPXQMS-REWHXWOFAM
  • [OH-].[Na+]
Properties
NaOH
Molar mass 39.9971 g/mol
Appearance White, hard (when pure), opaque crystals
Odor odorless
Density 2.13 g/cm3
Melting point 323 °C (613 °F; 596 K)
Boiling point 1,388 °C (2,530 °F; 1,661 K)
418 g/L (0 °C)
1000 g/L (25 °C)
3370 g/L (100 °C)
Solubility soluble in glycerol, negligible in ammonia, insoluble in ether, slowly soluble in propylene glycol
Solubility in methanol 238 g/L
Solubility in ethanol <<139 g/L
Vapor pressure <2.4 kPa (at 20 °C)
Acidity (pKa) 15.7
−15.8·10−6 cm3/mol (aq.)
1.3576
Structure
Orthorhombic, oS8
Cmcm, No. 63
a = 0.34013 nm, b = 1.1378 nm, c = 0.33984 nm
4
Thermochemistry
59.5 J/(mol·K)
64.4 J/(mol·K)
−425.8 kJ/mol
-379.7 kJ/mol
Hazards
GHS labelling:
GHS05: Corrosive
Danger
H290, H314
P280, P305+P351+P338, P310
NFPA 704 (fire diamond)
Lethal dose or concentration (LD, LC):
40 mg/kg (mouse, intraperitoneal)
500 mg/kg (rabbit, oral)
NIOSH (US health exposure limits):
PEL (Permissible)
TWA 2 mg/m3
REL (Recommended)
C 2 mg/m3
IDLH (Immediate danger)
10 mg/m3
Safety data sheet (SDS) External SDS
Related compounds
Other anions
Other cations
Related compounds
Sodium deuteroxide
Except where otherwise noted, data are given for materials in their standard state (at 25 °C [77 °F], 100 kPa).
checkY verify (what is checkY☒N ?)

Sodium hydroxide is a highly caustic base and alkali that decomposes proteins at ordinary ambient temperatures and may cause severe chemical burns. It is highly soluble in water, and readily absorbs moisture and carbon dioxide from the air. It forms a series of hydrates NaOH·nH2O. The monohydrate NaOH·H2O crystallizes from water solutions between 12.3 and 61.8 °C. The commercially available "sodium hydroxide" is often this monohydrate, and published data may refer to it instead of the anhydrous compound.

As one of the simplest hydroxides, sodium hydroxide is frequently used alongside neutral water and acidic hydrochloric acid to demonstrate the pH scale to chemistry students.

Sodium hydroxide is used in many industries: in the manufacture of pulp and paper, textiles, drinking water, soaps and detergents, and as a drain cleaner. Worldwide production in 2004 was approximately 60 million tons, while demand was 51 million tons.

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