Sodium Bicarbonate (Feed) - Turkey

Brief Overview
Sodium bicarbonate is a water soluble white crystalline powder commonly known as baking soda which is widely used as leavening agent in food. Feed grade sodium bicarbonate is predominantly used as the source of sodium to increase dietary cation-anion difference (DCAD). It is also used as dietary supplement for ruminants to treat acid indigestion and metabolic acidosis. In poultry, it helps improving calcium absorption to increase eggshell quality. It is also fed to broiler chicken as partial replacement for salt to provide drier litter and healthier living environment.
Manufacturing Process
A process for producing sodium bicarbonate and sodium carbonate includes reacting within a reactor of sodium sulfate in aqueous solution with ammonia and carbon dioxide to precipitate sodium bicarbonate and form a first stock solution. The sodium bicarbonate is separated and dried to produce sodium bicarbonate product. Alternatively, the sodium bicarbonate may be calcined to convert it to sodium carbonate. The first stock solution may be evaporated to precipitate unreacted sodium sulfate, with the formation of a second stock solution. The second stock solution may be cooled to precipitate a double salt of sodium sulfate/ammonium sulfate and water. A third stock solution is formed from this process. The latter-mentioned liquor from the precipitation of the double salt is evaporated to precipitate a substantial pure ammonium sulfate in a purity of greater than approximately 75 wt %. A fourth stock solution is formed. The double salt is added to the first stock solution from the precipitation of sodium bicarbonate prior to the evaporation step and the fourth stock solution is added to the second stock solution from the evaporation to precipitate unreacted sodium sulfate.