chemical · input
Sodium hydroxide used in chemical neutralization to convert free fatty acids into soap stock during oil refining. A commodity chemical produced globally via chlor-alkali electrolysis; multiple suppliers available.
0
Source countries
4
Companies
1
Goods affected
0
Claims on record
What depends on it
1 essential American goods rely on caustic soda (naoh) somewhere upstream in their supply chain.
Who makes it
4 companies produce caustic soda (naoh).
Olin Corporation ammunition division; operates East Alton IL (historic Winchester site) and Oxford MS factories; ~30% of US primer production through Winchester-branded primers; East Alton has produced primers since 1892; also makes lead styphnate in-house for Winchester ammunition
Major US merchant sulfuric acid producer; 1,400+ employees; 17 manufacturing plants and multiple distribution facilities across US, Europe, Canada, and Asia. Founded 1945 in Detroit. Key facilities: Chicago, IL (H2SO4 production); Gent, Belgium (300 MT/day capacity, recently upgraded converter). Primarily a merchant H2SO4 distributor and producer — supplies industrial, chemical, and fertilizer customers who do not produce their own acid. Also produces oleum, battery acid, and spent acid regeneration services.
One of China's leading sodium nitrite producers; dominant market position alongside other Shandong-based chemical companies. China produces ~60% of Asian sodium nitrite supply (Asia Pacific = 75.8% of global market); China overall ~53% of global sodium nitrite production. Shandong province is a major Chinese chemical manufacturing hub. Shandong Haihua is cited as one of the two dominant global players (alongside BASF) in the sodium nitrite market. Also produces chlor-alkali chemicals, soda ash, and ammonium compounds.
Japanese specialty chemicals company (TYO: 4043, HQ Shunan, Yamaguchi); produces electronic-grade IPA (IPA SE) at 99.99%+ purity using a proprietary process where water and propylene react directly — enabling superior purity vs. sulfuric acid hydration route. Tokuyama ships IPA SE from Japan, Taiwan, Singapore, and China to serve advanced chipmakers; the product was adopted by 3 of the top 10 global chip manufacturers as of 2024. Tokuyama is the same company that produces polycrystalline silicon (polysilicon) for solar panels and semiconductor wafers — it is a critical supplier to both the PV and semiconductor industries simultaneously. HQ is in a remote industrial city on the Seto Inland Sea, producing materials for the most advanced chips on earth.
