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sodium carbonate
noun
: a sodium salt of carbonic acid used especially in making soaps and chemicals, in water softening, in cleaning and bleaching, and in photography: such as
a
: a hygroscopic crystalline anhydrous strongly alkaline salt Na2CO3
b
: the transparent crystalline hydrate Na2CO3·10H2O found in nature as natron
Examples of sodium carbonate in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Ancient Egyptians made the deep and bright blue color with sand, sodium carbonate, or ash and mixed it with copper minerals or pieces of bronze.
—Elizabeth Gamillo, Discover Magazine, 30 Nov. 2023
And last year a demonstration plant in San Antonio began capturing CO2 from a cement plant and converting it into minerals and chemicals, including sodium carbonate, hydrochloric acid and bleach.
—IEEE Spectrum, 29 Sep. 2015
Workers would extract sodium carbonate in the lake so it could be sold as a chemical additive.
—Anna Funk, Discover Magazine, 27 Aug. 2019
Alternatively, soak the T-shirt in soda ash (sodium carbonate) for better color absorption.
—Nicole Harris, Parents, 25 Aug. 2023
To provide examples, a 2017 United States Geological Survey report on
critical mineral resources noted that lithium carbonate is commonly produced from brine when
reacted with sodium carbonate.
—Leia Larsen, The Salt Lake Tribune, 16 Aug. 2023
The company has developed an alternative refining method using sodium carbonate and lime instead of heavy sulfuric acid and other chemicals that generate undesirable byproducts.
—Jeremy Beaman, Washington Examiner, 9 May 2023
Look for detergents that contain ingredients like sodium carbonate or sodium citrate, which are known to be effective at softening water.
—Amber Smith, Discover Magazine, 22 Apr. 2023
Instead, they are made with natural ingredients like baking soda, sodium carbonate, and pure essential oils.
—Amber Smith, Discover Magazine, 18 Apr. 2023
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'sodium carbonate.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
First Known Use
1868, in the meaning defined above
Dictionary Entries Near sodium carbonate
Cite this Entry
“Sodium carbonate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sodium%20carbonate. Accessed 15 Jul. 2024.
Kids Definition
sodium carbonate
noun
: a sodium salt used especially in making soaps and chemicals, in water softening, in cleaning and bleaching, and in photography
Medical Definition
sodium carbonate
noun
: a sodium salt of carbonic acid used especially in making soaps and chemicals, in water softening, in cleaning and bleaching, and in photography: as
a
: a hygroscopic crystalline anhydrous strongly alkaline salt Na2CO3
b
More from Merriam-Webster on sodium carbonate
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about sodium carbonate
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