if a new fuel source produced sodium hydroxide as byproduct?

Question

if a new fuel source produced sodium hydroxide as byproduct in large quantities, is this substance easily displaced of. Or would it create a problem?

Answer 1

Sodium hydroxide can be used to sequester carbon dioixde from the atmosphere. If a process produced sodium hydroxide as a byproduct then it would be a very useful byproduct (assuming that it could be collected). Once it has been used to sequester carbon dioxide the resulting material needs to be stored indefinitely and one method under consideration is to inject it under pressure into deep bore holes drilled into porous rock where it would be 'soaked up' by the rock.

Many industrial processes need NaOH so it could be utilised here (paper and fabric production, detergents etc).

In it's natural form it's a strong alkaline caustic white granular material (hence it's common name of caustic soda) and needs to be handled carefully. It's not something that can be easily disposed of and 'disposal' is best acheived by industrial or chemical processes that render it harmless.

Answer 2

A solution of sodium sulfide is strongly hydrolyzed and has a substantial concentration of bisulfide ions, SH^-. The equilibrium involved is: S^=(aq) + H2O(l) <=====> SH^-(aq) + OH-(aq). The addition of aqueous NaOH will shift the equilibrium to the left increasing the sulfide ion concentration. Mixing solutions of sodium hydroxide and sodium sulfate will afford just a mixture of ions, but no chemical reaction because all common sodium salts are s oluble.