Chapter 6 - Production Statistics for Natural Sodium Sulfate

Abstract

This chapter highlights the production statistics for natural sodium sulfate. The “natural” product accounts for a little more than half of the sodium sulfate that is produced; however, over the years this percentage has been slowly increasing. It does not consider the production of sodium sulfate from other chemicals recovered as a by-product from the manufacture of other chemicals or the processing of wastes or wastewater (also “by-product”). The reason for this is that the origin and geology of sodium sulfate deposits are major subjects by themselves, as is the economic extraction of the brine or ore deposits. The chapter also provides a table for the purpose of estimating natural sodium sulfate production rates for various countries, as prepared by the U.S. Geological Survey. The chapter also provides several data that cover the worldwide production of all sources of sodium sulfate (natural, synthetic, and by-product), which reveal that there has been a steady increase in the world's total production rate, averaging 1.2%/yr from 1973 to 1996.