Used in the manufacture of cellulose, aluminum, soaps and detergents, synthetic rayon fiber, cellophane, sodium salts in general, dyes and pigments, glass, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, and in the production of sodium hypochlorite and other water treatment products. It is also used in vegetable oil refining, ion-exchange resin regeneration, paper production, textile industry, cotton mercerization, dyeing, metal processing, petroleum extraction, and effluent neutralization.