Soda Ash Price

Soda ash, also known as sodium carbonate or washing soda, is an alkali chemical, belonging to the Chlor-alkali group. It is referred to as natural soda ash when it is produced from the mineral trona or from sodium carbonate-bearing brines. It is called synthetic soda ash when it is manufactured from one of several chemical processes.

 

Quick Overview of Soda Ash

✔️An overview of soda ash
✔️The history of soda ash
✔️The production of soda ash
Trading soda ash as a commodity
Factors that drive the price of soda ash
Application of soda ash
Did you know?

 

An overview of soda ash

Natural soda ash occurs in the mineral trona and in shallow inland alkaline lakes and marshes, usually together with several chlorides and sulfate salts. Due to its softness and solubility, soda ash deposits are typically found in shallow bodies of water, making the deposits susceptible to destruction by natural mechanical and chemical erosion.

According to the US Geological Survey (USGS), ‘there are five forms of sodium carbonate deposits, which, in terms of decreasing economic significance, are buried ore, surface or subsurface brines, crystalline shoreline or bottom crusts, shallow lake-bottom crusts, and surface efflorescences.’

Soda ash can also be acquired from the ashes of plants that grow in sodium-rich soils.

Excessive deposits of the mineral trona are found in the Green River Basin in the state of Wyoming in the USA, where an enormous lake once covered the land million years ago. Large deposits also occur in Türkiye (formerly called Turkey).

Trona, which is a water-soluble mineral, derives its name from the Arabic word natron, meaning native salt.

Properties of soda ash

• Under standard conditions for temperature and pressure (STP), soda ash exists as a white solid and is hygroscopic in nature, implying that it has the ability to take and hold moisture from the surroundings.
• When dissolved in water, soda ash forms carbonic acid and sodium hydroxide.
• It is odourless.
• Soda ash is a relatively strong base that is able to act as an antacid.
• In its anhydrous state and at 25 degrees Celsius, soda ash has a density of 2.54 grams per cubic centimetre.
• It is soluble in water, forming slightly alkaline solutions when dissolved in water.
• Soda ash melts at 851 degrees Celsius (1 564 degrees Fahrenheit).

 

The history of soda ash

Soda ash (sodium carbonate) has been used since ancient times, at least for more than 5 000 years.

In ancient Egypt, the Egyptians recovered soda ash from dry lake beds in the desert or by burning seaweed and other marine plants with high quantities of sodium to produce ashes. Hence, the commonly used name is ‘soda ash.’

The Egyptians used the ashes to reduce the high melting point (1 713 degrees Celsius/3 115 degrees Fahrenheit) of silica sand to manufacture ornaments and glass vessels.

The Romans used soda ash to bake bread and manufacture glass. The related compound of sodium carbonate, sodium bicarbonate, was used for medicinal purposes by the Romans.

The extraction of soda ash from the ashes of various plants continued until the mid-1800s when synthetic production techniques were first developed.

 

The production of soda ash

Top global producers

The global production of soda ash was estimated to reach 62.2 million metric tonnes (tons) (MT) in 2025.

According to Statista, the five major producers of soda ash in the world in 2025 were:

• USA: 12 million metric tonnes
• Türkiye: 4.4 million metric tonnes
• Botswana: 260 000 metric tonnes.
• Kenya: 250 000 metric tonnes
• Ethiopia: 20 000 metric tonnes

Currently, natural soda ash is only produced in the state of Wyoming in the USA and in Türkiye.

Soda as is made in three main grades, namely Soda Ash Dense, Soda Ash Medium, and Soda Ash Light. The grades are chemically identical and only differ in physical characteristics and in granule sizes, with Soda Ash Light having a finer granule size than the other two grades.

 

Methods to produce soda ash

Nowadays, two methods are used to produce sodium carbonate (soda ash), both producing chemically identical soda ash, namely:

Natural soda ash production

• Extraction

Eti Soda, a Turkish company and one of the largest producers of soda ash in the world, describes its ‘innovative solution-extraction’ as follows: ‘This patented production method injects heated water into the underground ore body, which then dissolves the trona forming brine solution. The brine is then brought to the surface and pumped to a central processing facility.’ The company refers to the method as a ‘closed loop system.’

According to Eti Soda, the system has several advantages. For instance, it:

• is safer because it requires no underground operatives,
• has minimal impact on the surface,
• requires considerably less energy and water than other production methods, and
• produces significantly less carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions.

 

• Filtration

Once pumped into the production facility, the brine solution is filtered to get rid of insolubles.

 

• Crystallisation

After filtering, the brine is then stripped and evaporated to concentrate the brine, resulting in sodium carbonate crystallising out of the solution.

 

• Separation

This process forms a sodium carbonate slurry, and a centrifuge is used to separate out the crystals.

 

• Drying

Once separated, the crystals are dried to produce soda ash powder.

Natural soda ash production accounts for about 30 percent of the global production of soda ash.

 

Synthetic soda ash production

The following processes were used or are currently used to produce synthetic soda ash:

 

• The Leblanc process

This process was developed in 1790 by the French physician and chemist Nicolas Leblanc (1742 – 1806). The process required salt, sulfuric acid, limestone, and coal to manufacture soda ash.

In this process, salt (sodium chloride) was treated with sulfuric acid to create a salt cake (sodium sulfate). The salt cake was then roasted with limestone (or chalk) to produce black ash, consisting primarily of calcium sulfide and sodium carbonate, which was subsequently dissolved in water and then crystallised.

The Leblanc process was cheap and simple and one of the primary industrial-chemical processes of the 19th century. However, the process has gradually become outdated after the introduction of the Solvay process.

 

• The Solvay process

The Solvay process, also called the ammonia-soda process, was developed in its modern form by Ernest Solvay (1838 – 1922), the Belgian chemist and industrialist, during the 1860s. It is one of the major industrial processes for the production of soda ash.

To obtain synthetic soda ash, the following steps are followed in the Solvay process: Salt (sodium chloride) is reacted with limestone (as a source of calcium carbonate) and coking coal in the presence of ammonia.

Calcium chloride, produced from the calcium carbonate, is a by-product of the Solvay process.

 

• The Hou process

The Hou process is developed by the Chinese chemist and chemical engineer Hou Debang (1890 – 1974) in the 1930s when he improved the Solvay process. The first steps are the same as the Solvay process. However, the remaining solution is not treated with limestone (as a source of calcium carbonate), but with carbon dioxide (CO₂), and ammonia is pumped into the solution. Subsequently, salt (sodium chloride) is added until the solution saturates at 40 degrees Celsius. In the next step, the solution is cooled to 10 degrees Celsius. As a result, ammonium chloride precipitates and is removed by filtration. The solution is recycled to produce more sodium carbonate.

Hou’s process eliminates calcium chloride which is a by-product of the Solvay process.

The Hou process is currently the most common process in the world to produce soda ash.

 

• DUAL process

The DUAL process was developed in Japan when the producers made several modifications to the Solvay process. DUAL process, also called the modified Solvay process, came in commercial use in 1980.

This process combines the production of soda ash with the production of ammonium chloride, also referred to as sal ammoniac.

The DUAL process uses primarily salt (sodium chloride), carbon dioxide, and ammonia as raw materials. The process does not require limestone, which is an important raw material that is used in the Solvay process.

The steps applied in the DUAL process are as follows:

1. Ammonia
2. Carbonation of the ammonia brine and production of sodium bicarbonate and ammonium chloride.
3. Filtration of sodium carbonate.
4. Crystallisation of ammonium chloride by cooling and through the addition of solid sodium chloride and the separation of the ammonium chloride.
5. Decomposition of bicarbonate into soda ash and recovery of carbon dioxide.

Synthetic soda ash production constitutes about 70 percent of the global production of soda ash. Furthermore, it is more costly than natural ash production methods, and is much more energy and water intensive.

 

Trading soda ash as a commodity

According to Trade Economics, the spot market for soda ash exists mostly in China and Europe.

Soda Ash Futures Contracts are available on the Zhengzhou Commodities Exchange (CZCE). Contract specifications are, amongst others:

• Trading unit: 20 metric tonnes (tons)/lot
• Price quotation: Chinese yuan (CNY)/metric tonne (ton)
• Minimum price fluctuation: CNY1/metric tonne (ton)
• Price limit: ± 4% of the settlement price of the previous trading day
• Minimum trading margin: 5% of the contract value
• Contract months: January to December
• Last trading day: The tenth trading day of the delivery month
• Last delivery day: The thirteenth trading day of the delivery month
• Delivery method: Physical delivery

More information about trading with soda ash as a commodity can be obtained from a professional and regulated commodity broker.

 

 

Factors that drive the price of soda ash

As reported by IMARC, a leading market research company, the global soda ash market was valued at US$ 17.8 billion in 2025. The company expects the global ash market to experience a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 5.6% over the next five years (2022 – 2027).

According to the website of Trading Economics, as of 11 July 2025, soda ash increased 210 Yuan/MT or 7.78 percent since the beginning of 2025. This is based on a contract for difference (CFD) that tracks the benchmark market for the commodity soda ash.

The outbreak of the Covid19 pandemic and the subsequent strict lockdown regulations across the world resulted in the temporary closure of several end-use industries, limiting the demand for soda ash.

Economic recovery in 2025 after the pandemic has boosted the demand for soda ash and consequently the production of soda ash. This recovery progresses across all the sectors in which soda ash is used.

Specifically, the expanding glass industry contributes considerably to the recovery of the soda ash market. The increasing demand for glass products due to the rising sales of vehicles and the expanding construction industry are the main drivers of the global soda ash market. Furthermore, the increased application of glass packaging solutions in the food and beverage, pharmaceutical, and personal care sectors is also supporting the growth of the global soda ash market.

Other key factors in the increasing demand for soda ash is the economic growth in China, rising construction in emerging economies, specifically in the Asia-Pacific region, and the increased application of the chemical to purify air due to environmental concerns.

 

Applications of soda ash

Soda ash is a key raw material used in various applications. According to ANSAC, an American company involved in the distribution of natural soda ash, the global soda ash market can be segmented into:

• Glass – 50%
• Chemicals – 26%
• Soap and detergents – 10%
• Distributors – 5%
• Miscellaneous uses – 4%
• Flue gas desulfurisation – 2%
• Pulp and paper – 2%
• Water treatments – 1%

 

The following information about the applications of soda ash is obtained from BOTASH SA, the largest supplier of soda ash in South Africa.

 

• Glass manufacturing

Soda ash is used as a fluxing agent to lower the melting temperature of pure silica, a key component in the making of glass.

Types of glass manufactured are:

• Container glass, comprising glass bottles, ampoules, and jars.
• Flat glass, including architectural glass, vehicle windscreens, mirrors, windows, and frames.
• Other glass such as textile, fibre-optics, and insulation fibreglass.

 

• Chemical industry

Soda ash is used for various chemical reactions to produce inorganic and organic compounds. As a soluble solution, it can be applied in chemical reactions as a detergent, colouring agent, fertilizer, pH regulator, and in the petroleum industry.

 

• Soap and detergent industry

Soda ash acts as a ‘builder’ in powdered, paste, and soap detergents. According to BOTASH SA, ‘builders in detergents perform the following functions:

Removal of magnesium and calcium ions prevalent in “hard water.”

Provide alkalinity to water.

Assists in dispersing any soiling present in the washing solution and prevent soil re-deposition on laundry.’

 

Other applications

• In the textile industry, soda ash is used throughout the production process as a cleaning agent, as well as for refining and bleaching and to control the pH during the drying process.
• In the recycling of lead from depleted batteries, zinc, and aluminium.
• In water treatment, as a source of sodium and to control the pH value.
• In the mining industry, soda ash is, inter alia, used in the production of cobalt and steel, and in the removal of iron ore in blast furnaces.
• Additional uses of soda ash:
• In the production of corn syrups, and dyes.
• As a food additive.
• In the manufacturing process of ethanol.
• In the manufacture of pulp and paper.

China and India, with their large construction, glass, paper, and textile industries, are the major global consumers of soda ash.

 

Did you know?

The ancient Egyptians used natural soda as a desiccant (a drying agent) in their mummification process.

The discovery in 1938 of the world’s largest deposit of the mineral trona in the state Wyoming in the USA was by accident when exploration teams were searching for gas and oil.

The first synthetic ash plant in Syracuse in the state of New York in the USA started production in 1884 and was also the last synthetic ash plant in the USA to close in 1986. Ten synthetic ash plants were in operation in the USA during the 19th and 20th centuries, including the ash plant in Syracuse.

Nowadays, the USA produces only natural ash soda, starting with the first operation in 1868 near the city Fallon, situated in the state of Nevada.

 

Note: This article does not constitute investment, financial or trading advice. Please obtain the advice of a professional and regulated commodity broker before making trading and investment decisions