Indigenous Sodium Metal Production Technology

India will be self-reliant for the production of sodium metal for its use in the pharmaceutical and nuclear sectors.  It will stop the import of sodium metal and save foreign exchange.

• The sodium metal is a raw material for pharmaceutical uses and is also used as a coolant in Fast Breeder Reactor  (FBR). 
• No commercial production/ technology is presently available in India, hence total Indian demand is met by import only.
• CSIR-NML has successfully designed, fabricated, and operated 500A closed sodium cell and produced sodium metal by molten salt electrolysis of sodium chloride.
• Based on the expertise a 3000A pilot-scale closed sodium cell was designed, fabricated, and demonstrated at the premises of M/s Sree Rayalseema Hi-Strength Hypo Ltd. (M/s SRHHL), Kurnool, AP. The pilot plant was operated successfully for at least a month and produced a significant amount of sodium metal.
• The purity of the metal was between 99.9 to 99.83% and the cell efficiency was about 83%.
• The indigenously developed cell design was successfully proven.
• Based on the success of the pilot-scale operation the commercialization/ industrialization of sodium metal production technology is under progress at the premises of  M/s SRHHL, Kurnool up to a capacity of 144000A which includes 12000A of 12 cells aiming to produce 700MT per annum.

• Indigenous technology to produce sodium metal first time in India.
• The electrolytic cell is designed in such a way that it can produce up to 99.9% pure sodium metal with a cell efficiency of 83%.
• The cell was designed to operate continuously for a longer time and its capacity was 3000A.
• The sodium metal can be used for making sodium hydride, which has large pharmaceutical uses.
• Commercialization/ industrialization is under progress.