CAS #: 497-19-8, Soda ash, the trade name for sodium carbonate (Na2CO3), is a white, anhydrous, powdered or granular material. It is an essential raw material used in the manufacture of glass, detergents and soaps, chemicals and other industrial products. Soda ash is made in two main grades - light and dense. These have the same chemical properties and only differ in physical characteristics, such as bulk density and particle size and shape.