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SODIUM HYDROGEN CARBONATE

AND SODIUM CARBONATE

One important industrial proccss is the Sol vay proccss in which sodium hydrogen carbonate (sodium

bicarbonate, NaHCOj) and sodium carbonate (soda ash, NajCOj) are produced from ammonia. carbn

dioxide, water, and concentrated brinc solution. The Solvay proccss is significant because it uses inexpensive

andplen tifidrawmaterialstoprepareuseful Chemicals.

' The overall Chemical reactions that occur in the Solvay process are represented by the foowing two

equations.

CO:(s) + H:0(/ ) + NH,(g) + NaV

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One o f tlie raw malcriis for the proccss is limcstonc (calcium carbonate, CaC03). Limcstone isheated to produce carbn dioxide.

CaCO,(.v) ----- CaO(.v) + CO:(.ij) (3)

The carbn dioxide is dissolved in water. \Vhen it dissolves, some of it forms carbonic acid, H2C 0 3

CO,(