Bicarbonate solutions for industrial sector - Environmental
From the plant floor to the ocean floor, ARM & HAMMER™ brand products help industry get the job done. The functional properties of our bicarbonates – as catalysts, neutralizers, buffering agents, reactants, blowing agents, and CO2 generators – meet the needs of industrial customers in many different fields and settings. If an application requires a specific granulation, Church & Dwight can supply it. If a customer needs assured supply, Church & Dwight can deliver. In Church & Dwight, industrial customers have a partner they can turn to for more than just the right bicarbonate product. Our continuous innovation and desire to help our customers create better products more efficiently sets Church & Dwight apart as the right choice for industry.
Foam Blowing
Foam rubber and plastics are products of a cellular form which may be either flexible or rigid. Flexible foams may be polyurethane, rubber latex, polyethylene or vinyl polymers. Rigid foams are chiefly polystyrene polyurethane, epoxy, and polyvinyl chloride. Sodium bicarbonate is commonly used as a “blowing agent” in the manufacture of these products.
A blowing agent is a substance incorporated in the melted plastic or rubber compound for the purpose of producing gas bubbles to form the foam structure as it cools.
Sodium bicarbonate, mixed with the plastic or rubber raw material, releases the required CO2 gas bubbles upon application of heat in the mold or extruder. The cellular structure can be controlled by the amount of bicarbonate added or by the size and structure of the bicarbonate crystals.
Dry Sorbent Technology
Air Pollution Control with Dry Sorbent Injection Technology
Sodium Bicarbonate can be utilized to remove SO2, SO3, HCl and HF from stack gases. Thermal decomposition to soda ash in a “popcorn” effect creates a very large and reactive surface area that absorbs SO2, SO3, HCl and HF. These acid gases are removed along with the fly ash in an existing electrostatic precipitator or fabric filter collector.
Fire Extinguishers
Sodium bicarbonate is used in most dry fire extinguishers. When dispensed, the products absorb heat, decompose to form fire smothering carbon dioxide, and release free radicals which interrupt the flame chain reaction mechanism. Potassium bicarbonate is commonly utilized in industrial applications, as it decomposes at the higher temperatures found in grease and chemical type fires.
The essential factor in extinguishing fires is excluding oxygen by the safest and most effective means. Dry sodium bicarbonate extinguishers are useful in fighting four classes of fire:
- Class A: Fires of ordinary combustible materials including wood, paper and cloth.
- Class B: Fires in flammable liquids
- Class C: Electrical equipment fires
- Class D: Fires resulting from burning metals.
Anti-Slip Solutions
Slip-and-fall workplace injuries are a leading cause of Workman’s Compensation claims in the U.S. In response, we developed ARMAGRIP™, a floor treatment product designed to reduce floor slipperiness in food preparation spaces. ARMAGRIP™ delivers great slip resistance and performance –and it covers better and longer than salt. It doesn’t corrode steel or concrete flooring, and won’t upset waste treatment systems. It’s also a natural odor neutralizer.
ARMAGRIP™ meets the Food Chemical Codex requirements for sodium bicarbonate, and bears NSF Registration Number 119818, indicating it is acceptable for use as an anti-slip agent in official establishments. (Category J1).
Oil Drilling
In the oil drilling process, “drilling mud” is used to lubricate, cool, and keep hoses clear of bore cuttings. Sodium bicarbonate is used to help maintain the pH of the mud, and to scavenge caustic calcium oxide, converting it to a harmless carbonate.
In more technical terms, most drilling muds comprise a suspension of barites and bentonite or attapulgite clay in either a water or petroleum oil base. An effective drilling mud must have a specific gravity of at least 2.0, and should be thixotropic, with appreciable gel strength. When ARM & HAMMER™ brand industrial grade sodium bicarbonate is introduced as a component of drilling mud, it reacts with the hydroxide ions released while drilling out case cement. The sodium salts remaining from the reaction help maintain the mud’s viscosity and gel strength.
Other Uses
Paper
In the paper industry, alkaline-sized paper is generally considered stronger, brighter and more resistant to aging than untreated papers. ARM & HAMMER™ brand industrial grade products provide outstanding results during the sizing process, as sodium bicarbonate is typically used to raise alkalinity.
More specifically, the (AKD) process works best at 150 ppm of bicarbonate alkalinity, with precipitated CaCO3 contributing about 60 ppm of bicarbonate alkalinity. Supplemental sodium bicarbonate is therefore required in plants with process water of 90 ppm alkalinity or less. Sodium bicarbonate is also used in neutral starch sizing by adjusting the pH to 7-8 at the final starch sizing press.
Alkaline Leaching
In some instances, In-Situ Recover Mining is the desired method of mining uranium. Sodium Bicarbonate can be utilized to aid in the extraction of the Uranium ore. The specific application will determine if a carbonate solution is desirable.