| Abstract: | Spatial patterns in the production of chlor-alkali chemicals (soda ash, caustic soda, and chlorine) in the USSR are examined. The opening of large new salt deposits in the Volga region in the 1950s not only increased output of soda ash considerably, but also dramatically shifted production because of soda ash's raw material orientation. In contrast, because caustic-chlorine production tends to be market oriented, it was mainly the development of chlor-organic synthesis in the 1960s and 1970s that resulted in much greater spatial dispersion of production. Overall, the industry is now in a slow-growth phase, following the rapid gains made during the postwar period. Soda ash production is actually declining, while the wide array of applications for chlorine, especially chlorinated hydrocarbons, promises continued growth for the caustic-chlorine sector. |
