Published October 2021
Sodium carbonate, also known as disodium carbonate or soda ash, is a member of the chlor-alkali chemical family and competes with caustic soda as a source of alkali (sodium oxide) in many processes. Commercial soda ash is highly purified and is sold in various grades that differ primarily in bulk density. Sodium carbonate is produced synthetically and from natural resources (primarily trona). In 2020, synthetic methods accounted for about three-fourths of production, but production from natural resources has recently increased the fastest, led by increased capacity in Turkey.
Northeast Asia (led by mainland China), North America (led by the United States), and the Middle East (led by Turkey) are the world’s leading producing regions. Production will increase the fastest in the United States and India in 2020–25, while production in Western Europe and South America will continue to decline.
The following chart shows world consumption of sodium carbonate:
The leading consuming regions are Northeast Asia (led by mainland China), Western Europe, North America, and the Indian Subcontinent (led by India). The Indian Subcontinent is expected to have the highest growth rate during 2020–25, with South America and Southeast Asia following closely.
The leading applications for sodium carbonate are the production of glass, chemicals, soaps and detergents (including STPP), and alumina and metals mining. Use in the production of lithium carbonate is the fastestgrowing application, primarily in the production of lithium-ion batteries. The production of glass accounted for over half of global consumption in 2020; this market was hit hard by the pandemic, as demand for flat glass in automobiles and construction dropped sharply. All applications are forecast to increase during 2020–25, with overall consumption increasing at 3–4% per year.
For more detailed information, see the table of contents, shown below.
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