Chemical Industries, Acids & Alkalis Alkali works illustrating the Leblanc process, late 19th century

Chemical Industries, Acids & Alkalis Alkali works illustrating the Leblanc process, late 19th century. Model. Alkali, in the form of soda (sodium carbonate), has been used for centuries in the manufacture of glass, textiles and soap. Until the end of the 18th century, soda was extracted from the ashes of either seaweed or the plant barilla. As these sources became scarce the price rose, so an alternative method of manufacture was sought. Here, salt is heated with sulphuric acid, giving sodium sulphate and hydrochloric acid gas. This highly corrosive gas represented a big pollution problem in the early 19th century. ©SSPL/Science Museum