Soda ash, also known as sodium carbonate (Na2CO3), is an alkali chemical refined from the mineral trona or naturally occurring sodium carbonate-bearing brines (both referred to as natural soda ash), the mineral nahcolite (referred to as natural sodium bicarbonate, from which soda ash can be produced), or manufactured.
Soda ash, also known as sodium carbonate, has the following uses: Industrial applications – Being a highly soluble substance, soda ash is used for numerous chemical reactions. It's mostly used as an ingredient in the manufacture of dyes and coloring agents, synthetic detergents and fertilizers . Soda ash or sodium carbonate is a commodity used mainly in the glass, detergent and food processing industries
Soda ash also is used to clean the air and soften water.
As environmental concerns grow, demand increases for soda ash used in the removal of sulfur dioxide and hydrochloric acid from stack gases.