Properties of Caustic Soda

Now, you have completely understand the definition of caustic soda and its reaction with water. It is high time, you move to its properties. There are 2 main kinds of properties of Caustic Soda (NaOH):

• Physical properties
• Chemical properties

Physical Properties of NaOH

• State: NaOH is generally found in solid states such as flakes, beads etc. It is white in color in solid form.
• Solubility: NaOH has high solubility in water which means it gets instantly dissolved when mixed with water.
• Transformation: When NaOH gets mixed in H₂O, it changes from solid state to liquid state instantly.
• Heat Generation: NaOH generates a significant amount of heat while performing reaction with water as this reaction is exothermic. This is an important property for concentrated solutions of NaOH.
• Density: The density of NaOH is directly proportional to the concentration of NaOH in the solution. NaOH solutions have higher density than water.

Chemical Properties of NaOH

• Alkalinity: NaOH shows strong alkaline properties. It is a strong base. When you dissolve it in water, it releases OH^– ions and forms an alkaline solution.
• Reactivity with Acids: NaOH can react with acids strongly in neutralization reaction. The general equation is:

NaOH (aq) + HCl (aq) → NaCl (salt) + H2O (l)

• Hydrolysis reaction: In this reaction, NaOH is specifically involved with esters to produce alcohols and other compounds. Let’s take a basic reaction to understand the hydrolysis reaction:

CH₃COOC₂H^– (ethyl acetate) + NaOH ) → CH₃COONa (sodium acetate) + C₂H^–OH (ethanol)

• Corrosive Nature: NaOH is highly corrosive in nature. Direct contact with skin or eyes can cause you severe burns.
• Saponification Process: During soap-making process, NaOH plays an essential role. It reacts with fats and oils to produce soap and glycerine.

Caustic Soda Reaction with Water

Caustic Soda has three elements Na, O and H. Let’s see a basic chemical reaction of NaOH interacting with water below:

NaOH (s/l) + H₂O (water) → Na⁺ (aq) + OH^– (aq) + H₂O (l)

The above reaction is showing that when NaOH reacts with water, it releases sodium ions (Na+) and hydroxide ions (OH-). This is an highly exothermic reaction, means that this reaction releases some amount of heat.

Caustic Soda is a solid chemical compound that contains sodium (Na), oxygen(O), and hydrogen(H) ions. The chemical name of Caustic Soda is Sodium Hydroxide. The chemical formula of caustic soda is NaOH. Caustic Soda is basically a base as it releases OH^– ions when dissolved in water.

Caustic Soda is an important compound in chemistry as well as in daily life. In this article, we will learn What is Caustic Soda, what is its chemical formula, and its chemical name. We will also learn about the physical and chemical properties of Caustic Soda and the preparation of Caustic Soda along with its properties and uses.