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In the Chlor-Alkali Business, saline solution made from imported salt goes through electrolysis to produce caustic soda (sodium hydroxide) and chlorine.
The scale of the electrolysis plant is based on the production capacity of caustic soda. Tokuyama ranks third in production capacity of caustic soda in Japan. Of the approximately 450,000 tons of caustic soda produced annually, 80% is sold to customers and 20% is used internally for other products.
Caustic soda is used for many applications, such as dissolving pulp in the papermaking industry and for refineries of alumina (raw material for aluminum) in the mining industry.
One ton of caustic soda production causes approximately 0.88 tons of chlorine. More than 90% of our chlorine is used in other Tokuyama products, with the remainder sold to customers. Tokuyama consumes chlorine in a balanced approach, using chlorine to produce dichloroethane (EDC), a feedstock to vinyl chloride, and to produce propylene oxide (PO), a feedstock to urethane, as well as to produce various chloro-solvents. In addition, chlorine is reacted with hydrogen, generated at electrolysis plants, to produce hydrochloric acid.
Products made at the electrolysis plant are used in a variety of fields as basic materials.
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