What is the Chemical Name for Washing Soda?

Washing soda is a white, crystalline solid commonly used as a powerful cleaning agent in households and industries. It is strongly alkaline and feels slippery or soapy when dissolved in water.

Unlike baking soda, washing soda is more effective at removing grease, stains, and mineral deposits. Washing soda is widely used in laundry to enhance detergent performance and soften hard water.

Washing soda is also an important raw material in the glass, soap, paper, and textile industries. But interestingly, many people do not know the chemical name for washing soda. 

In this article, we will learn the chemical name, formula, properties, and uses of washing soda.

What is the chemical name for washing soda?

The chemical name for washing soda is sodium carbonate decahydrate. The 'decahydrate' refers to ten molecules of water of crystallisation attached to each unit of sodium carbonate.

What is the chemical formula for washing soda?

The chemical formula for washing soda is Na₂CO₃·10H₂O (the dot indicating hydration).

The formula represents each sodium carbonate (Na₂CO₃) molecule combined with ten water (H₂O) molecules.

Properties of Washing Soda (Sodium Carbonate Decahydrate)

Below are the physical properties of washing soda:

Appearance: White, crystalline solid.

Solubility: Readily dissolves in water but is insoluble in alcohol.

Hygroscopic: Absorbs moisture from the air (efflorescent).

Melting Point: Anhydrous sodium carbonate melts at 851°C.

Density: The anhydrous form is 2.54 g/cm³. 

Here are notable chemical properties of washing soda:

Alkaline Solution: Its aqueous solution is strongly alkaline (basic), with a pH around 11, making it effective for cleaning.

Cleansing Action: Acts as a detergent by attacking dirt and grease, forming water-soluble products that rinse away.

Reaction with Acids: Reacts with acids to release carbon dioxide gas.

Water of Crystallization: As a decahydrate, it contains water molecules; heating it removes this water, first forming a monohydrate and then anhydrous soda ash (pure sodium carbonate). 

How is washing soda prepared?

Washing soda is preapred indutrially from sodium carbonate (Na₂CO₃), which is produced by the Solvay process.

In this process, ammonia and carbon dioxide react with brine (sodium chloride solution) to form sodium bicarbonate, which decomposes to sodium carbonate on heating.

A hot, concentrated solution of sodium carbonate is then crystallised with water to form large crystals of sodium carbonate decahydrate or commonly known as washing soda.

These crystals are then filtered, dried, and packaged for commercial use.

Common Uses of Washing Soda (sodium carbonate decahydrate) 

Washing soda has key applications:

As a laundry ingredient in washing powders to remove stains and grease.

Water softener by precipitating calcium and magnesium ions from hard water.

In industrial manufacturing of glass, soaps, paper and textiles, detergents.

For household cleaning of surfaces, unclogging drains, and removing rust stains.

In chemical laboratories for preparing other sodium compounds like borax.

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