Are High Caustic Soda Prices Messing With Your Budget?
Posted in General
Caustic Soda prices have risen to unprecedented levels. Truckload costs for Caustic Soda (sodium hydroxide) are currently greater than $1,000 to $1,200 per dry ton. Just a year ago costs were one–half of this amount.
Aries Magnesium Hydroxide may be your answer. It can reduce your wastewater neutralization costs dramatically. That’s because you will typically use 27% less Magnesium Hydroxide than Caustic Soda/sodium hydroxide. That’s on top of the fact that Magnesium Hydroxide will cost less!
Economic and Performance Comparisons for Aries 100 Magnesium Hydroxide and Caustic Soda
| Comparison Basis | Caustic Soda Sodium Hydroxide | Aries 100 Magnesium Hydroxide |
| Product form | 50% solution – NaOH | 60% solids slurry – Mg(OH)2 |
| Raw material cost (ton per ton basis) | Fluctuates widely with supply; often more expensive than Mg(OH)2 | Generally competitive with caustic soda; pricing consistent |
| Alkali requirement: ✓ per ton H2SO4 ✓ per ton HCl ✓ per ton HNO3 NaOH Consumption vs. Mg(OH)2 | 1630 dry lb. | 1190 dry lb. |
| Capital investment | Cost associated with safety considerations; no agitated tank required; freeze protection needed for 50% caustic | Agitated storage tank required |
| Residence time | Extremely fast acting to complete neutralization | Moderately fast acting to 95% of neutralization; more controllable process |
| Maximum pH in overtreatment | 14 | 9 |
| Sludge produced | High volume, gel-like with heavy metals | Dense, low volume with heavy metals; easier to dewater |
| Safety | Hazardous material requiring rigorous safety procedures. Sara 313 listed. | Non-hazardous material |
| Environmental | Sodium ion discharge; can easily overshoot desired pH | Buffers at pH 9 |
Check out some other advantages of using Magnesium Hydroxide.
Contact Aries to review the potential for conversion to Magnesium Hydroxide: (315) 346-1111 or aries@arieschem.com.
Aries Technical Sales Staff is available to perform a site survey to determine Magnesium Hydroxide’s applicability to your process. Aries can provide a complete Magnesium Hydroxide feed and control system for trials. Aries technical staff can design a permanent Magnesium Hydroxide storage, feed and control system for your facility.