Amalgam-Type Chlor-Alkali Industry

Abstract

Chlorine and caustic soda, which are produced simultaneously by electrolysis of sodium chloride solution, together with sulfuric acid and ammonia, are the most important industrial inorganic chemicals. Table 7.1 shows the world production of caustic soda.(1) Figure 7.1 represents the growth of production of chlorine and caustic soda in the United States and Japan. For the United States, the production is shown in short tons of chlorine and by metric tons of caustic soda in Japan. Fortunately, those units are roughly equivalent to each other: (Cl2/NaOH) X (metric ton/short ton) = 0.888/0.907 = 0.98. The production of chlorine and caustic soda increased at a healthy rate until the year 1970. The growth rate has, however, decreased with the decline of the world economy due to the oil crisis. The decline is projected to continue for several years, with a gradual recovery.