You use products made with soda ash, sodium bicarbonate or other specialty products every day.
Soda ash is in every glass container, every window, every windscreen. It’s a key ingredient in powdered detergents that wash your clothes and dishes, and if you have an EV or solar panels, soda ash is working for you there too. Bicarbonate and specialties are in the food that you eat, they help keep us healthy and they help to clean the air that we breathe. At WE Soda, we produce only natural products. They have the lowest carbon and water footprint, and are powering change, sitting at the heart of the energy transition.
Living
Enhancing our lives as a key part of the products that surround us
Glass
Soda ash is in all of the glass around us, in our houses, offices and cars. It makes the production of glass more efficient and less energy intensive. It does this by lowering the melting point of the primary ingredient, silica sand. It also contributes to the uniformity and clarity of the glass.
Containers
Glass bottle and jar manufacturers use soda ash as a key part of the production process. It helps maintain the viscosity of molten glass, helping the shaping and forming of glass into different products.
Detergents
Soda ash is a key ingredient in detergents, acting as a water softener and pH regulator, and enhances stain and grease removal. It helps ensure that detergents clean more efficiently and fabrics appear brighter.
Swimming pools
Soda ash is used to keep the pH of pool water within the ideal range. This improves water clarity and swimmer comfort. It prevents skin and eye irritation and protects pool equipment from corrosion.
Borosilicate glass
In kitchens, borosilicate glass is used for oven-safe cookware and storage containers. Soda ash is a key ingredient in the production of these products which are both heat resistant and strong.
Insulation
Glass wool insulation is produced from a number of raw materials including soda ash. It can withstand high temperatures without melting or emitting toxic fumes, making it a safe choice for increasing the energy efficiency of buildings.
Energy
An essential ingredient powering the energy transition
Electric vehicles
Soda ash plays a crucial role in the production of electric batteries, particularly in lithium-ion batteries. It is used to refine lithium compounds, maintain pH levels and ensure the purity of battery grade materials. It helps transform raw lithium into usable forms.
PV solar panels
Soda ash is essential for producing high quality photovoltaic glass, which serves as the protective layer for solar cells. Over 90% of PV glass contains soda ash which contributes to its transparency, durability and light transmittance.
Battery recycling
Soda ash is used to recover lithium and other metals in battery recycling. It not only aids purifying battery materials but it also supports sustainability in the battery supply chain by minimising waste and controlling acidity.
Sodium-ion batteries
Soda ash is a primary source of sodium in the emerging technology of sodium-ion batteries. Sodium is more abundant and lower cost than lithium and sodium-ion batteries are used for energy storage and increasingly in EVs.
Farming
Solutions for farmers – our proprietary feed grade sodium sesquicarbonate, S-Carb®
Dairy cattle
S-Carb® plays an important role in the diets of lactating dairy cattle. It helps prevent the common metabolic disease, rumen acidosis. It also increases milk production and helps maintain normal milk fat levels.
Chickens
Supplementing chicken feed with S-Carb® improves digestion, growth rates and overall health. It can also improve immunity levels in poultry and reduce heat stress which is particularly important in hot weather.
Laying hens
S-Carb® is used in the diets of laying hens to improve their overall health and the eggshell quality. It helps to regulate their stomach acidity and boost calcium absorption in the hens. It also helps alleviate heat stress.
Agriculture
Sodium bicarbonate’s non-toxic and eco-friendly nature makes it an attractive choice for both organic and conventional agriculture. It helps neutralise acidic soils, improving nutrient availability and promoting healthier crop growth.
Food
A key ingredient in food production and home baking
Baking
Sodium bicarbonate and soda ash are used as a leavening agent, contributing to the rise of dough and the texture of baked goods. It does this by releasing carbon dioxide when it interacts with acid.
Food quality
Many food products and beverages require a constant pH for stability, flavour, and shelf life. Alkaline soda ash and sodium bicarbonate help control acidity in soft drinks and they even promote the texture and brown crust on food like pretzels.
Water quality
Water is used in almost every type of food and beverage production process. Soda ash helps soften hard water to avoid the impact on taste, colour and product quality that it can cause.
Drinks
Many beverages are naturally high in acidity and soda ash is used to counteract this without affecting flavour. Sodium bicarbonate helps maintain the desired carbonation level and preserve quality and freshness.
Powdered food
Sodium bicarbonate is used as an anti-caking agent in powdered foods such as sugar and baking mixes. It helps prevent clumping and ensures even distribution during mixing and baking processes.
Health
Supporting our health and science
Antacids
Sodium bicarbonate is commonly found in over-the-counter antacid products that help alleviate heartburn and indigestion. It neutralises stomach acid providing sufferers with rapid relief.
Dispersible tablets
Sodium bicarbonate is used in dispersible tablets because it reacts with an acidic agent to produce carbon dioxide gas. This gas is released when the tablet comes into contact with water creating the characteristic effervescence.
Haemodialysis
Sodium bicarbonate is used as a buffering agent in dialysate solutions to correct metabolic acidosis in patients with chronic kidney disease.
Personal care
Sodium bicarbonate is a common ingredient in toothpastes, bath soaks, facial scrubs, and deodorants. Its mild abrasive nature helps clean teeth, exfoliate the skin and neutralise body odours naturally.
Environment
Supporting industry with efficient, reliable and cleaner processes
Flue gas desulphurisation (FGD)
The use of sodium bicarbonate in FGD is crucial for reducing air pollution in power plants and other processes such as waste incineration and cement production. It reacts with sulphur dioxide so that it can be captured and removed, ensuring compliance with emission standards.
Water treatment
Sodium bicarbonate is used in industrial water systems to control pH and remove both unwanted chlorine and toxic metals from water. It also prevents corrosion and scaling reducing the lifespan of equipment.
Cleaning products
The mild abrasiveness and ability to dissolve grease and oil makes sodium bicarbonate an effective cleaning agent for industrial equipment and processes.
Fire extinguishers
Dry powder fire extinguishers using sodium bicarbonate are used in industrial settings such as factories, refineries, and automotive repair shops. It draws heat from the fire and produces carbon dioxide and water which is crucial for putting fires out.
Metal smelting
Soda ash helps lower the melting point of impurities, making it easier to separate the metal from its ore. It also controls pH levels in metallurgy and improves the quality and strength of metals.
Pulp and paper
Adjusting the pH levels during the pulping process is essential for separating cellulose fibres. It enhances paper quality by improving brightness and texture. It also reduces the need for more expensive chemicals and waste production.
