E524 Acidity regulator

E524 is a popular strong base used in industry. E524 is used in the manufacture of sodium salts and detergents, pH regulation, and organic synthesis. In bulk, it is most often handled as an aqueous solution, since solutions are cheaper and easier to handle.

E524 is used in many scenarios where it is desirable to increase the alkalinity of a mixture, or to neutralize acids.

For example, in the petroleum industry, E524 is used as an additive in drilling mud to increase alkalinity in bentonite mud systems, to increase the mud viscosity, and to neutralize any acid gas (such as hydrogen sulfide and carbon dioxide) which may be encountered in the geological formation as drilling progresses.

Another use is in Salt spray testing where pH needs to be regulated. E524 is used with hydrochloric acid to balance pH. The resultant salt, NaCl, is the corrosive agent used in the standard neutral pH salt spray test.

Poor quality crude oil can be treated with E524 to remove sulfurous impurities in a process known as caustic washing. As above, E524 reacts with weak acids such as hydrogen sulfide and mercaptans to yield non-volatile sodium salts, which can be removed. The waste which is formed is toxic and difficult to deal with, and the process is banned in many countries because of this. In 2006, Trafigura used the process and then dumped the waste in Ivory Coast.

Other common uses of E524 include:

• It is used for making soaps and detergents. E524 is used for hard bar soap while potassium hydroxide is used for liquid soaps.E524 is used more often than potassium hydroxide because it is cheaper and a smaller quantity is needed.
• It is used as drain cleaners that contain E524 convert fats and grease that can clog pipes into soap, which dissolves in water.