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caustic soda definitions

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WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

n
1: a strongly alkaline caustic used in manufacturing soap and paper and aluminum and various sodium compounds [syn: sodium hydroxide, caustic soda]

Merriam Webster's

noun Date: 1796 sodium hydroxide

Britannica Concise

Sodium hydroxide (NaOH), an inorganic compound. The alkalies called caustic soda and caustic potash (potassium hydroxide) are very important industrial chemicals, with uses in the manufacture of soaps, glass, and numerous other products. They have been easily extracted since ancient times by soaking wood ashes in water (see lye). Industrial methods of caustic-soda production developed in the 18th cent. (the Leblanc process) and 19th cent. (the Solvay, or ammonia-soda, process) have been largely displaced by electrolysis.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Soda So"da, n. [It., soda, in OIt., ashes used in making glass, fr. L. solida, fem. of solidus solid; solida having probably been a name of glasswort. See Solid.] (Chem.) (a) Sodium oxide or hydroxide. (b) Popularly, sodium carbonate or bicarbonate. Caustic soda, sodium hydroxide. Cooking soda, sodium bicarbonate. [Colloq.] Sal soda. See Sodium carbonate, under Sodium. Soda alum (Min.), a mineral consisting of the hydrous sulphate of alumina and soda. Soda ash, crude sodium carbonate; -- so called because formerly obtained from the ashes of sea plants and certain other plants, as saltwort (Salsola). See under Sodium. Soda fountain, an apparatus for drawing soda water, fitted with delivery tube, faucets, etc. Soda lye, a lye consisting essentially of a solution of sodium hydroxide, used in soap making. Soda niter. See Nitratine. Soda salts, salts having sodium for the base; specifically, sodium sulphate or Glauber's salts. Soda waste, the waste material, consisting chiefly of calcium hydroxide and sulphide, which accumulates as a useless residue or side product in the ordinary Leblanc process of soda manufacture; -- called also alkali waste. Soda water, originally, a beverage consisting of a weak solution of sodium bicarbonate, with some acid to cause effervescence; now, in common usage, a beverage consisting of water highly charged with carbon dioxide (carbonic acid). Fruit sirups, cream, etc., are usually added to give flavor. See Carbonic acid, under Carbonic. Washing soda, sodium carbonate. [Colloq.]

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Sodium So"di*um, n. [NL., fr.E. soda.] (Chem.) A common metallic element of the alkali group, in nature always occuring combined, as in common salt, in albite, etc. It is isolated as a soft, waxy, white, unstable metal, so readily oxidized that it combines violently with water, and to be preserved must be kept under petroleum or some similar liquid. Sodium is used combined in many salts, in the free state as a reducer, and as a means of obtaining other metals (as magnesium and aluminium) is an important commercial product. Symbol Na (Natrium). Atomic weight 23. Specific gravity 0.97. Sodium amalgam, an alloy of sodium and mercury, usually produced as a gray metallic crystalline substance, which is used as a reducing agent, and otherwise. Sodium bicarbonate, a white crystalline substance, HNaCO3, with a slight alkaline taste resembling that of sodium carbonate. It is found in many mineral springs and also produced artificially,. It is used in cookery, in baking powders, and as a source of carbonic acid gas (carbon dioxide) for soda water. Called also cooking soda, saleratus, and technically, acid sodium carbonate, primary sodium carbonate, sodium dicarbonate, etc. Sodium carbonate, a white crystalline substance, Na2CO3.10H2O, having a cooling alkaline taste, found in the ashes of many plants, and produced artifically in large quantities from common salt. It is used in making soap, glass, paper, etc., and as alkaline agent in many chemical industries. Called also sal soda, washing soda, or soda. Cf. Sodium bicarbonate, above and Trona. Sodium chloride, common, or table, salt, NaCl. Sodium hydroxide, a white opaque brittle solid, NaOH, having a fibrous structure, produced by the action of quicklime, or of calcium hydrate (milk of lime), on sodium carbonate. It is a strong alkali, and is used in the manufacture of soap, in making wood pulp for paper, etc. Called also sodium hydrate, and caustic soda. By extension, a solution of sodium hydroxide.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Caustic Caus"tic, Caustical Caus"tic*al, a. [L. caustucs, Ge. ?, fr. ? to burn. Cf. Calm, Ink.] 1. Capable of destroying the texture of anything or eating away its substance by chemical action; burning; corrosive; searing. 2. Severe; satirical; sharp; as, a caustic remark. Caustic curve (Optics), a curve to which the ray of light, reflected or refracted by another curve, are tangents, the reflecting or refracting curve and the luminous point being in one plane. Caustic lime. See under Lime. Caustic potash, Caustic soda (Chem.), the solid hydroxides potash, KOH, and soda, NaOH, or solutions of the same. Caustic silver, nitrate of silver, lunar caustic. Caustic surface (Optics), a surface to which rays reflected or refracted by another surface are tangents. Caustic curves and surfaces are called catacaustic when formed by reflection, and diacaustic when formed by refraction. Syn: Stinging; cutting; pungent; searching.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

Caustic soda is a powerful chemical substance used to make strong soaps and clean drains.