Sodium Sulfide Finds Application in Pulp and Paper Industry, Water Treatment, Textile Industry, and Various Chemical Manufacturing Processes

 Sodium sulfide is a commonly occurring compound in many industries. As per, the U.S. FDA, the ingredient is used at levels not to exceed good manufacturing practice in accordance with § 186.1(b)(1). It occurs naturally and exists as colorless crystals or as a fine, white crystalline powder. It is prepared by the neutralization of sulfuric acid with sodium hydroxide. It is used in the pulp and paper industry, water treatment, textile industry, and various chemical manufacturing processes. In its most common form, sodium sulfate is a reagent. This material is commonly used as a reagent in soap, detergents, plastics, textiles, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, and drywall. It has recently been discovered to have additional industrial applications. In fact, sodium sulfate is currently used in water treatment and water purification, textile industry and the petroleum and chemical industries, among other applications.

The major benefits of sodium sulfide is that it does not change in foaming condition, does not cause chemical lysis, and does not react with hydrogen peroxide. However, it also produces certain negative side effects when exposed to air, water or solvents at elevated temperatures. These effects are primarily attributed to sulfur compounds released into the air during the manufacture process. Sulfur compounds are eliminated from the finished product during storage, heat treatment and transportation, but some may escape during processing if the separation cycle is not completed completely.

Sodium sulfide is a major component of many pharmaceutical drugs, including some antineoplastic agents, antimicrobial drugs, vasoconstrictors, laxatives, and antihistamines. A wide range of chemicals and synthetic organic compounds (COCs) contain sulfuric acid as one of their derivatives. For this reason, it can be seen that the use of Na2S and derivatives is widespread in several fields of pharmaceuticals and bio-tech sectors. For instance, Na2S has found application in cosmetics and food processing, particularly for flavoring and coloring, as well as medicine preparation, particularly for antineoplastic agents, antibiotics, chemotherapies, vaccines, hormonal therapy, solvents, tap water purification and pharmaceuticals.

Sodium sulfide is widely used in the printing and photographic industry to manufacture vivid, color prints. It is also utilized in the food and beverage industry for industrial odor and taste control, desiccant and deodorizing products, as a thickener for paper and other non-calcium salt products, as an antimicrobial agent in brazing, and as a stabilizer in many cosmetics formulations. Today, Na2S is seen in a wide range of industrial applications and as a fully synthetic ingredient in a wide number of chemical formulations. The demand for Na2S is increasing due to its high volatility and reactivity. This makes Na2S a very undesirable compound for many industrial tasks.