SODIUMSULFATE.PDF

SODIUM SULFATE By Dennis S. Kostick Sodium sulfate, also known as disodium sulfate (Na2SO4), is which 327,000 tons were from natural sources and 245,000 tons an inorganic chemical that has several important industrial uses. were from byproduct sources. The quantity of byproduct It is produced from naturally occurring sodium sulfate-bearing material reported by the Bureau of the Census was less than brines or crystalline evaporite deposits, and as a byproduct of a expected, based on the strength of certain domestic and export varity of chemical manufacturing processes, such as ascorbic sales and the opinions of industry analysts. Ending inventories acid, battery acid recycling, boric acid, cellulose, chromium of natural sodium sulfate were 19,000 tons. chemicals, lithium carbonate, rayon, resorcinol, and silica Although GNB Technologies of Columbus, GA, came on- pigments. The byproduct sodium sulfate is considered a waste stream in 1995 with a battery acid recycling plant that recovers product but has marketability; both types of sodium sulfate, byproduct sodium sulfate, the operation had some technical however, have several important and useful applications in difficulties in achieving its annual capacity of 27,000 tons various consumer products. (30,000 short tons). East Penn Manufacturing in Lyons Station, PA commissioned its new battery recycling facility in 1996. Its Production planned annual capacity was 4,000 tons of byproduct sodium sulfate (Chemical Marketing Reporter, 1996a). Occidental Domestic production and inventory data for natural sodium Chemical Corp.’s sodium dichromate plant in Castle Hayne, sulfate are developed by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) NC, contracted with Whee