Learning about various chemical compounds has helped you understand more things than when you studied back in high school. It seemed that college has brought you a brand new perspective and has made you more wide-eyed. It has already become more interesting for you to know more about the chemicals that people use every single day. This made your research paper in your chemistry class a lot easier to deal with, even though you were only given two weeks to finish and present it. The main question in your research paper was “Will caustic soda harm raised mounds?”
This was a question that you considered very important for every homeowner to consider. A raised mound is a type of wastewater treatment system that should be well-taken care just like any other conventional septic system. Like any other septic system, a raised mound should be cleaned, treated, and pumped out on a schedule as well. One of the common chemical compounds that you have researched about was caustic soda. Is it harmful to raised mounds? To answer this debatable question, you would have to look at caustic soda under a huge magnifying glass.
Caustic soda is also known as lye or sodium hydroxide. This is a chemical compound that is a strong base that is usually in the form of white granules, flakes, fifty percent solution, or pellets. It is a standard for caustic soda to be stored in a vacuum sealed container because once exposed to air, it absorbs carbon dioxide immediately. Caustic soda is soluble in water (becomes exothermic), methanol, and ethanol. It is non-soluble in non-polar solvents and ether. It usually leaves paper and fabric a yellow color.
When you combine caustic soda with acids, it yields salts and water. An example is mixing hydrochloric acid with sodium hydroxide and you get water and sodium chloride. Since caustic soda is a very strong base, it is very much utilized in chemical industries worldwide. In large amounts, it is much easier to handle. Basically, sodium hydroxide is used in the neutralization of acids. Because of continuous developments in its research, it was then founded to be useful in drilling mud, treating crude oil, making paper, digestion of tissues, breaking down amphoteric compounds and metals, preparing food, and cleaning various surfaces. The question is still, will caustic soda harm raised mounds
As a cleaning agent, it is very useful in various industries. It can be added to water then heated first before it is applied to clean equipments and tanks among others. It effectively breaks down protein, fats, oils, and grease found in ovens, bake ware, drains, sinks, and pipes. It is also used in the cleaning of raised mounds. You have elaborated the effectiveness of caustic soda in degrading various organic compounds. Because of this, consumers think twice before using it in cleaning their systems because they think that sodium hydroxide might corrode the physical parts of the system and harm the bacteria present there. That part is true, caustic soda will kill the bacteria present in a septic system that it comes in contact with.
Caustic soda doesn’t really harm raised mounds. Unknown to most homemakers, it is also present in water softening systems. As you know, the process of water softening leaves mineral discharges into the raised mound system that greatly improves the soil percolation of the soil absorption system and doesn’t harm the resident bacteria. Earlier, it has been said that when caustic soda is combined with acids, it yields water and salt. The raised mound could most probably contain acids from harsh household cleaners and clog clearers so it can neutralize the dangerously acidic environment in the raised mound’s tank, making the environment safer for the resident bacteria once more. The minute salt product is said to improve the bacteria’s performance.
By this time, you have told yourself that your report was constructed well and should be very informative. You just hoped that it would get you a high grade for that semester. Will caustic soda harm raised mounds? Like any other chemical compound, caustic soda can be harmful if used carelessly. As people who know better, smart consumers should focus on its advantageous uses especially when it comes to maintaining their raised mounds.