Keeping Europe healthy with Chlor-Alkali chemistry

Chlor-alkali chemistry is essential in the production of modern medicines. It is estimated that around 88% of modern medicines rely on chlor-alkali chemistry for part of their production process. These include drugs for asthma, diabetes, depression, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and even cancer. Over three quarters of these drugs only use chlor-alkali in their synthesis meaning it is not necessarily found in the final product. These include:

• Hydrochloric acid to control the pH during the production process,
• Chlorinated solvents to separate and purify the active ingredients,
• Sodium stearate, a sodium chemical from caustic soda, to enhance the effectiveness of ingredients in creams and ointments,
• Chlorine to purify borosilicate glass tubes that are used to safely store and transport vaccines.
• Nylon (made from caustic soda (sodium hydroxide) can be found in surgical sutures.

PVC (made from chlorine) is needed for sterile and fresh packaging for medicines