sodium hydroxide

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sodium hydroxide (NaOH) Strong alkali prepared industrially by the electrolysis of salt (sodium chloride, NaCl). It is a white solid that burns the skin, with a slippery feel because it absorbs moisture from the air. It also absorbs atmospheric carbon dioxide, so forming a crust of sodium carbonate. Caustic soda is used in many industries on a large scale, such as in soap-making to saponify fats (turn them into soap by alkali treatments) and in bauxite-processing to manufacture aluminium.

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