Editing Sodium chloride (section)

====Chlor-alkali industry====
{{See also|Chloralkali process}}
It is the starting point for the [[chloralkali process]], the industrial process to produce [[chlorine]] and [[sodium hydroxide]], according to the [[chemical equation]]
:<chem>2 NaCl{} + 2 H2O ->[\text{electrolysis}] Cl2{} + H2{} + 2 NaOH</chem>

This electrolysis is conducted in either a mercury cell, a diaphragm cell, or a membrane cell. Each of those uses a different method to separate the chlorine from the sodium hydroxide. Other technologies are under development due to the high energy consumption of the electrolysis, whereby small improvements in the efficiency can have large economic paybacks. Some applications of chlorine include [[PVC]] [[thermoplastic]]s production, disinfectants, and solvents.

Sodium hydroxide is extensively used in many different industries enabling production of paper, soap, aluminum, and more.