Basic Principle involved in Solvay Process- It is based on low solubility of sodium hydrogen carbonate (NaHCO3) whereby it gets precipitated in the reaction of sodium chloride with NH4HCO3. The latter is prepared by passing CO2 to a concentrated solution of NaCl saturated with ammonia, where ammonium carbonate followed by NH4HCO3 are formed. The equations are given as below:
Sodium hydrogen carbonate crystal separates. These are heated to give sodium carbonate.
