Sodium hydroxide is widely used in a variety of large scale applications such as pulp and paper manufacturing, in the production of soap and detergents as well as water treatment. It finds application in the base- driven hydrolysis of esters, amides and alkyl halides. It is also used as an industrial cleaning agent, an additive in drilling mud to increase alkalinity in bentonite in petroleum industry and as a powerful degreaser on stainless steel and glass bakeware. It is utilized in the Maxam-Gilbert DNA sequencing technique, chocolate and cocoa processing, soft drink processing, caramel coloring production and for thickening ice cream. It is often used to neutralize acids and prepare sodium salts of reagents. It forms a solution with sodium dodecyl sulfate and plays an important role for the decontamination of mycobacteria.

This Thermo Scientific Chemicals brand product was originally part of the Alfa Aesar product portfolio. Some documentation and label information may refer to the legacy brand. The original Alfa Aesar product / item code or SKU reference has not changed as a part of the brand transition to Thermo Scientific Chemicals.