Sodium hydroxide is a white color solid. It is widely used in the manufacturing processes of soaps and detergents, paper and pulp, rubber, resins, explosives, dyestuff, and petroleum products. It is utilized as an alkalizer in pharmaceuticals, an additive in foodstuffs, and a reagent in labs. It is also employed in processing cotton fabric and soft drinks, bleaching and laundering, metal cleaning and processing, electroplating, oxide coating, and electrolytic extracting.