Where to buy Carbonato de Sodio?

elhombresinnombre

elhombresinnombre

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It's known as Washing Soda in the UK and, I think Soda Ash in the USA, it's Sodium Carbonate crystals and it's usually purchased for cleaning drains and ovens the old-fashioned way. It's a common ingredient in proprietary products used for cleaning but I can't find it on it's own. It's not Sodium Bicarbonate (Baking Soda) or Sodium Hydroxide (Caustic Soda).

The only sources I can see are chemical companies who want to sell lab-grade Na2CO3 at eye-watering prices. I'm looking for the common or garden domestic variety which sells in the UK for the equivalent of a dollar and a half for a two pound pack. Any suggestions? Does your local palacio de limpieza sell it? Mine doesn't.

In the UK I use sodium carbonate as an ingredient in a photographic developer that is cheap, easy and safe to pour into the sewage system after use (some other photo chemicals are very nasty that way) and I want to process some film over the next few months.

Any leads would be much appreciated.

Thanks.
 
You can buy it at any chino. Just look for the little packets with the spices.
 
The chinos sell sodium bi-carbonate. You can make sodium carbonate from sodium bi-carbonate by just baking it at a low temperature for an hour. However they sell 50g packages at exorbitant prices. Barrio Chino sells much larger packages but still expensive.

Another option for bicarbonate in larger quantities (non food grade) (1kg) at good prices is http://www.quimicaoestesa.com (They list bicarbonate at $35 for 1kg). I would guess they have sodium carbonate as well...but if not you can make it yourself.
 
Thanks, I'll follow up both leads. My only real objection to converting bicarbonate of soda by heat treatment is the philosophical one that the process is then no longer based on simple use of everyday chemicals - you actually have to put some work in first. The other problem - that the monohydrate form of sodium carbonate that results from baking baking soda has a different molecular weight from the regular decahydrate one buys for cleaning drains - is easily solved with a pencil, some paper and a bit of arithmetic.
 
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