[W/K] :: caustic soda

  Soda \So"da\, n. [It., soda, in OIt., ashes used in making
     glass, fr. L. solida, fem. of solidus solid; solida having
     probably been a name of glasswort. See Solid.]
     1. (Chem.)
        (a) Sodium oxide or hydroxide.
        (b) Popularly, sodium carbonate or bicarbonate. Sodium
            bicarbonate is also called baking soda
            [1913 Webster]
  
     2. same as sodium, used in terms such as bicarbonate of
        soda.
        [PJC]
  
     3. same as soda water.
        [PJC]
  
     4. a non-alcoholic beverage, sweetened by various means,
        containing flavoring and supersaturated with carbon
        dioxide, so as to be effervescent when the container is
        opened; -- in different localities it is variously called
        also soda pop, pop, mineral water, and minerals.
        It has many variants. The sweetening agent may be natural,
        such as cane sugar or corn syrup, or artificial, such as
        saccharin or aspartame. The flavoring varies widely,
        popular variants being fruit or cola flavoring.
        [PJC]
  
     Caustic soda, sodium hydroxide.
  
     Cooking soda, sodium bicarbonate. [Colloq.]
  
     Sal soda. See Sodium carbonate, under Sodium.
  
     Soda alum (Min.), a mineral consisting of the hydrous
        sulphate of alumina and soda.
  
     Soda ash, crude sodium carbonate; -- so called because
        formerly obtained from the ashes of sea plants and certain
        other plants, as saltwort ({Salsola). See under Sodium.
        
  
     Soda fountain, an apparatus for drawing soda water, fitted
        with delivery tube, faucets, etc.
  
     Soda lye, a lye consisting essentially of a solution of
        sodium hydroxide, used in soap making.
  
     Soda niter. See Nitratine.
  
     Soda salts, salts having sodium for the base; specifically,
        sodium sulphate or Glauber's salts.
  
     Soda waste, the waste material, consisting chiefly of
        calcium hydroxide and sulphide, which accumulates as a
        useless residue or side product in the ordinary Leblanc
        process of soda manufacture; -- called also alkali
        waste.
  
     Washing soda, sodium carbonate. [Colloq.]
        [1913 Webster]

  Sodium \So"di*um\, n. [NL., fr.E. soda.] (Chem.)
     A common metallic element of the alkali group, in nature
     always occuring combined, as in common salt, in albite, etc.
     It is isolated as a soft, waxy, white, unstable metal, so
     highly reactive that it combines violently with water, and to
     be preserved must be kept under petroleum or some similar
     liquid. Sodium is used combined in many salts, in the free
     state as a reducer, and as a means of obtaining other metals
     (as magnesium and aluminium) is an important commercial
     product. Symbol Na ({Natrium). Atomic weight 22.990.
     Specific gravity 0.97.
     [1913 Webster]
  
     Sodium amalgam, an alloy of sodium and mercury, usually
        produced as a gray metallic crystalline substance, which
        is used as a reducing agent, and otherwise.
  
     Sodium carbonate, a white crystalline substance,
        Na2CO3.10H2O, having a cooling alkaline taste, found in
        the ashes of many plants, and produced artifically in
        large quantities from common salt. It is used in making
        soap, glass, paper, etc., and as alkaline agent in many
        chemical industries. Called also sal soda, washing
        soda, or soda. Cf. Sodium bicarbonate, and Trona.
        
  
     Sodium chloride, common, or table, salt, NaCl.
  
     Sodium hydroxide, a white opaque brittle solid, NaOH,
        having a fibrous structure, produced by the action of
        quicklime, or of calcium hydrate (milk of lime), on sodium
        carbonate. It is a strong alkali, and is used in the
        manufacture of soap, in making wood pulp for paper, etc.
        Called also sodium hydrate, and caustic soda. By
        extension, a solution of sodium hydroxide.
        [1913 Webster]

  Caustic \Caus"tic\, Caustical \Caus"tic*al\, a. [L. caustucs,
     Ge. ?, fr. ? to burn. Cf. Calm, Ink.]
     1. Capable of destroying the texture of anything or eating
        away its substance by chemical action; burning; corrosive;
        searing.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     2. Severe; satirical; sharp; as, a caustic remark.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     Caustic curve (Optics), a curve to which the ray of light,
        reflected or refracted by another curve, are tangents, the
        reflecting or refracting curve and the luminous point
        being in one plane.
  
     Caustic lime. See under Lime.
  
     Caustic potash, Caustic soda (Chem.), the solid
        hydroxides potash, KOH, and soda, NaOH, or solutions
        of the same.
  
     Caustic silver, nitrate of silver, lunar caustic.
  
     Caustic surface (Optics), a surface to which rays reflected
        or refracted by another surface are tangents. Caustic
        curves and surfaces are called catacaustic when formed by
        reflection, and diacaustic when formed by refraction.
  
     Syn: Stinging; cutting; pungent; searching.
          [1913 Webster]

  caustic soda
       n : a strongly alkaline caustic used in manufacturing soap and
           paper and aluminum and various sodium compounds [syn: sodium
           hydroxide]