What to do with 20kg of sodium hydroxide (caustic soda) ?

[mtt.tr]

When I cleared out my late dad's garden shed, we found this drum containing the above (solid white powder). I have no idea why he had it, it certainly has no use in the garden, not even as an "unofficial" weed killer. It's clearly labelled and made by BDH, who went out of business decades ago.

I phoned around a number of door stripping companies thinking that they might be able to use it, but I haven't found anyone who wants it.
Anyone got any ideas as to any trade that uses it? Failing that, anyone got any idea as what it will cost to dispose of it?

Thanks

Correct, caustic soda when hot is used to CIP or"clean in place" dairy equipment. Nasty stuff. Will eat holes in aluminium in minutes, your hands or anything organic will just turn to mush. As someone else said at the proper mix and temp is very good for cleaning anything. Add it to hot water and stand well back - if in doubt about its potency, it should boil the water, create a horrible gas.

My Heathrow induction was a chap who was severely burnt from caustic in a diary.

Horrible story, not really applicable to us we were abseiling and inspecting to run up pens

 

[minimutly]

What date was that?

 

[Parm]

My Heathrow induction was a chap who was severely burnt from caustic in a diary.

Horrible story, not really applicable to us we were abseiling and inspecting to run up pens

One of my team prosecuted a dairy for blinding a man with caustic in a dairy

in the spirit of the forum, they were all experts

 

[123hotchef]

Drain cleaner. Also disolves bodies.

Actually something I have been meaning to buy, but only 1L or so.

Ill swap u some for that er 3m compound if you like

 

[johnyev]

Isn't it used in dairy's for cleaning the stainless equipment ?

Isn’t that sodium hydrochloride? (Bleach)

 

[Seadog]

Sodium hypochlorite

 

[minimutly]

Caustic soda is NOT sodium hypochlorite..

 

[Ross365]

maybe it's time we got rid of these ancient terms like "caustic soda"

 

[Seadog]

Caustic soda is NOT sodium hypochlorite..

Did I say it was? Read the post above mine.

 

[minimutly]

Did I say it was? Read the post above mine.

I never said you did, just the flow of posts made it look like the statement implied it.

 

[The_Yellow_Ardvark]

Bag it up into 1/2kg bags and sell/donate to good forum members on here as paint stripper.

 

[minimutly]

I never said you did, just the flow of posts made it look like the statement implied it.

Oh, and one other thing to note - "dairies" - ie milking parlour etc use sodium hypochlorite as a disinfectant.
Dairies, that produce things from that milk use Caustic Soda. The two uses are very different, as are the chemicals.