Mainly used in papermaking, cellulose pulp production, soap, synthetic detergents, synthetic fatty acid production and animal and vegetable oil refining. 

In textile printing and dyeing industry, it is used as desizing agent, scouring agent and mercerizing agent for cotton cloth. 

The chemical industry is used to produce borax, sodium cyanide, formic acid, oxalic acid, phenol, etc

The petroleum industry uses it to refine petroleum products and oil field drilling mud. Also used for surface treatment of alumina, zinc and copper, glass, enamel, leather, medicine, dyes and pesticides.