Soda ash (sodium carbonate) is a chemical that is not only used in the production of numerous goods (e.g., glass, soaps, detergents, and paper), but also for processes (e.g., in flue gas treatment in power stations, as an alkali in chemical manufacturing, and in water treatment).
纯碱的全球年产量总计超过4000万吨，是生产最多的十大化学品之一。大部分的纯碱是通过索尔维法生产的，其余的从开采的岩石中获得。在Solvay工艺中，碳酸钠是用盐水和石灰石，氨作为“催化剂”，通过一系列化学反应生产出来的。