#Caustic Sodium Hydroxide

[brm-chemicals]

The Role of Caustic Sodium Hydroxide in Industrial Cleaning

Introduction

Industrial cleaning is a critical aspect of maintaining equipment, ensuring operational efficiency, and adhering to health and safety standards across various industries. Sodium hydroxide, commonly known as caustic soda or lye, plays a pivotal role in industrial cleaning due to its powerful chemical properties. This article explores how sodium hydroxide is utilized in industrial cleaning, its benefits, applications, and the precautions necessary for its safe use.

Chemical Properties of Sodium Hydroxide

Sodium hydroxide (NaOH) is a highly alkaline substance with a strong ability to break down organic materials and neutralize acids. Its chemical properties make it exceptionally effective for cleaning purposes.

Key Properties:

Strong Alkalinity: NaOH has a pH of around 14, making it a very strong base.

Solubility: It is highly soluble in water, and its solutions can range from low to high concentrations.

Reactivity: Sodium hydroxide reacts with fats, oils, and greases to form soap, a process known as saponification.

Applications in Industrial Cleaning

Sodium hydroxide is employed in a wide range of industrial cleaning applications due to its efficiency in removing stubborn contaminants and residues.

1. Equipment and Machinery Cleaning

Industrial equipment and machinery often accumulate tough residues such as grease, oil, and other organic materials. Sodium hydroxide solutions effectively dissolve these contaminants, ensuring that equipment operates smoothly and efficiently. This cleaning process is essential in industries like food processing, where hygiene standards are paramount.

2. Tank and Pipeline Cleaning

In industries such as petrochemicals and manufacturing, tanks and pipelines can become clogged or coated with residues that impede flow and efficiency. Caustic soda is used to clean and maintain these systems, ensuring that blockages are cleared and that materials can flow without obstruction.

3. Surface Preparation

Before the application of paints, coatings, or other surface treatments, it is crucial to have a clean and contaminant-free surface. Sodium hydroxide is used to clean and prepare surfaces by removing grease, oils, and other residues, providing a better adhesion surface for coatings.

4. Textile Industry

In the textile industry, sodium hydroxide is used in the mercerization process, which strengthens cotton fibers and improves their dye uptake. It also helps in cleaning and scouring fabrics to remove natural oils, waxes, and other impurities.

Benefits of Using Sodium Hydroxide in Industrial Cleaning

The use of sodium hydroxide in industrial cleaning offers several advantages:

Effectiveness: Its strong alkaline nature makes it highly effective at breaking down a wide range of organic materials.

Cost-Efficiency: Sodium hydroxide is relatively inexpensive and readily available, making it a cost-effective cleaning solution.

Versatility: It can be used in various concentrations and applications, providing flexibility in cleaning processes.

Speed: NaOH works quickly to dissolve and emulsify contaminants, reducing cleaning time.

Safety Considerations and Precautions

While sodium hydroxide is a powerful cleaning agent, it is also highly caustic and can pose significant risks if not handled properly. Safety measures are crucial to protect workers and the environment.

Safety Tips:

Personal Protective Equipment (PPE): Workers should wear appropriate PPE, including gloves, goggles, and protective clothing.

Proper Ventilation: Ensure adequate ventilation in areas where sodium hydroxide is used to avoid inhaling fumes.

Training: Workers should be trained in the proper handling and emergency procedures related to sodium hydroxide.

Storage: Store NaOH in a cool, dry place, away from acids and moisture, and in containers resistant to strong bases.

First Aid: In case of contact with skin or eyes, immediately rinse with plenty of water and seek medical attention.

Environmental Considerations

Disposing of sodium hydroxide requires careful consideration to avoid environmental damage. Neutralize NaOH solutions with a weak acid (such as vinegar) before disposal and follow local regulations for hazardous waste management.

Conclusion

Sodium hydroxide is an indispensable component in industrial cleaning, offering powerful and effective solutions for removing a wide range of contaminants. Its benefits in enhancing operational efficiency, maintaining equipment, and ensuring hygiene standards are significant. However, the caustic nature of NaOH necessitates strict adherence to safety protocols to protect workers and the environment. Understanding and leveraging the properties of sodium hydroxide can lead to more efficient and effective industrial cleaning practices.

[puddleslimewrites]

False Promises (Part 2)

Part 1

Hero never got bored or looked the least bit uninterested when Scientist talked about new ideas. Most people would zone out long before they really got into a lecture, but still had the decency to nod and comment politely. Hero didn't offer any empty pleasantries. It was funny how similar they were to Supervillain in that way.

Hero asked questions. Not as many as Supervillain and not nearly as introspective, but they made Scientist think. Not just about their work, but about themself, too.

Hero asked for their favorite color. They didn't know. No one ever cared. Questions like that left them feeling flustered and off balance. But there were ones they could answer more easily. Like why erlenmeyer flasks were shaped in such a funny way, or what caustic chemical they most preferred.

Both Hero and Supervillain were fishing for information. Scientist was more than aware there were alterior motives (there always would be). Supervillain poked and proded their mind for their thought process - the way anything and everything worked, how they planned to make and use their own creations. And Hero...

Hero wanted to know them as a person. It baffled Scientist, really, to be seen as more than what they'd done and what they could do. Hero didn't care much for science, but they cared when Scientist had something to say. They didn't preach the glories of a career in heroics, though Scientist was sure that's what they were sent for.

Scientist was useful to Supervillain. With them, they felt needed. Wanted. With Supervillain came admiration and awe at not only the power they had, but the potential they saw in Scientist and their work.

Their relationship with Hero was harder to place. At first Scientist was merely tolerant as Hero seemed content to simply observe and learn. They weren't sure when tolerance turned into...Scientist was reluctant to call it friendship. But Hero was there. They were present and attentive and there, which was more than Scientist could ever ask for.

~

A beaker crashed on the floor, but Scientist hardly cared for the danger of broken glass when there was a much more immediate threat looming in the doorway. "What- Wh-What are you doing here?"

It had been months since they'd last seen that face. They should have locked the doors, turned out the lights, pretended they'd gone home when Hero suggested it.

Supervillain cocked their head. Scientist could see the thoughtful look in their eyes as they considered what to say. "I made a misjudgment," they settled on. They spoke slowly and carefully in a measured effort to craft a regretful image.

Scientist didn't doubt they were regretful. But not for them. No, they felt remorse for the lost opportunities, for time wasted, when they realized that not only had Scientist survived, but that they'd been recruited by the heroes as well.

Too late Scientist realized that they'd backed themself into a corner. The only door into the lab was on the far side of the room and the windows were at least three stories up from the ground level. They didn't have an escape route.

Scientist should have known better.

They should have known better than to accept the help of heroes after hiding for so long; better than to choose a side that wasn't their own.

Maybe...maybe that was their plan all along. Superhero's speeches about the 'good of the people' never worked, so the heroes sent someone who could appeal to them. Someone who could get them to lower their guard and gradually change their mind. Someone who could be their friend.

Like a fool, Scientist fell for it. Just like they fell for Supervillain.

~

Tagging: @vallianttreedreamland

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[ltdppec]

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[fahmihefram]

Dijual Sodium Hidroksida (081993535359)

Sodium hidroksida, juga dikenal sebagai kaustik soda atau soda api, adalah senyawa kimia anorganik yang memiliki rumus kimia NaOH. Senyawa ini merupakan basa kuat yang bersifat korosif, berbentuk padatan kristal putih yang larut dalam air dengan sangat mudah. Sodium hidroksida merupakan salah satu senyawa kimia yang paling penting dalam industri karena berbagai sifat dan kegunaannya yang luas.

Dalam bentuk padatnya, sodium hidroksida terbentuk dari ion sodium (Na+) dan ion hidroksida (OH-). Senyawa ini dikenal memiliki kemampuan untuk bereaksi dengan berbagai senyawa asam dan membentuk garam serta air melalui reaksi netralisasi. Karena sifatnya yang sangat basa, sodium hidroksida juga digunakan dalam proses-proses yang memerlukan kontrol pH yang ketat, seperti dalam produksi makanan dan minuman.

Salah satu kegunaan utama sodium hidroksida adalah dalam industri pembuatan sabun. Dalam proses ini, senyawa ini bereaksi dengan lemak atau minyak (trigliserida) melalui reaksi saponifikasi, menghasilkan sabun dan gliserol. Sodium hidroksida juga digunakan dalam industri pulp dan kertas. Dalam proses pemutihan pulp, senyawa ini digunakan untuk menghilangkan lignin dari serat kayu, meningkatkan kualitas dan kecerahan kertas yang dihasilkan.

Selain itu, dalam industri kimia, sodium hidroksida digunakan dalam pembuatan berbagai senyawa kimia lainnya, termasuk deterjen, zat pewarna, dan bahan kimia farmasi. Senyawa ini juga digunakan dalam produksi biodiesel, di mana sodium hidroksida bertindak sebagai katalisator dalam reaksi transesterifikasi yang mengubah minyak nabati atau lemak hewani menjadi biodiesel. Namun, penggunaan sodium hidroksida juga memerlukan kewaspadaan ekstra. Kontak langsung dengan kulit atau mata dapat menyebabkan luka bakar serius. Oleh karena itu, dalam setiap penggunaannya, pengguna harus menggunakan perlindungan diri seperti sarung tangan karet, kacamata pelindung, dan pakaian pelindung. Sebagai senyawa kimia yang sangat kuat, sodium hidroksida menunjukkan keberagaman aplikasi industri yang mendukung banyak aspek kehidupan sehari-hari kita, namun harus digunakan dengan sangat hati-hati untuk mencegah risiko kesehatan dan lingkungan.

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[dawnsci]

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[jpitha]

You can have a little lye as a treat

“I want to make Maya her favorite food, can you help?” Limmie looks over the table in the canteen at Peggy, the only other human she knows here.

“Uh, maybe Lim, what’s her favorite food? Also, you know that most human foods…”’

“Are toxic to me, yes I know. This one doesn’t seem to bad though? It’s mostly wheat. I can eat wheat, though I shouldn’t eat too much. It’s just wheat and water, some sugar, yeast and salt.”

Peggy thinks a moment. “Some kind of bread?”

Limmie’s nod is so vigorous her ears flutter. “Yeah, something called a pretzel”

“So… that’s not all that’s involved in pretzels.” Peggy stands. “But, I think we can work something out. Come on, let’s sign out a kitchenette.”

A few days later, Limmie comes to the kitchenette that Peggy signed out. They get it for a whole day, which surprised Limmie. “It’s just bread right? Why do we need it for a whole day?”

“Well, we have to give time for the yeast to work.” Peggy is wearing an apron that says “Let’s Get Baked!” And has a cartoon of a bread loaf with bloodshot eyes. She’s getting bowls out and arranging things on the steel table in front of her. “Her favorite is German pretzels?”

“That’s right. She said that she misses them because only her Grandmother makes them right. She sounded so wistful.” Limmie washes her hands, and as she dries them, Peggy hands her a smaller apron. On the front is written “Made from Scratch!” And has a cartoon K’laxi showing their claws. Limmie looks at Peggy who is trying very hard not to laugh. She puts the apron on and flicks her ears in a grin.

Peggy spend the time showing Limmie what to do to make the dough, but she doesn’t do it. It’s for Limmie’s girlfriend, so she does the work. She mixes the flour and the water and the yeast and while is proofs, Peggy explains how the yeast works and what it’s doing. Limmie leans in close and smells the yeasty smell and is amazed that human foods can get this… complicated.

Soon enough the bread has risen and been punched down and shaped and… Peggy is putting on a large rubber apron, heavy gloves and a face shield. Limmie stands back “Uh, Peggy, what are you doing?”

“Oh, the pretzels aren’t done yet, they need a Lye bath.”

“What’s that?”

Peggy’s voice is slightly muffled from the shield. “Oh, Lye is a human word for Sodium Hydroxide, a very strong alkaline chemical. It is quite caustic to organic tissue.”

Limmie takes an unconscious step back. “But, what are you doing then? You’re going to ruin our bread!”

“No no, this is an important step. The pretzels won’t look or smell or taste right unless we dip them in lye.”

“You’re going to DIP the pretzels into a strong alkaline solution?”

Peggy turns, holding another rubber apron, gloves, and face shield. “No. You’re going to.”

“This isnt’ a joke? You’re not trying to make fun of me for not understanding human cookery? You really have to dip the pretzels in that caustic chemical?”

Peggy lifts up her face shield. Her eyes are kind. “Limmie, I would never do that to you. I promise, this will make the pretzels just like how Maya remembers them.”

Tail flicking, Limmie takes the PPE from Peggy. “How do I put this on?”

“I’ll show you, come here.”

****

“Oh gosh Limmie, these are perfect! Where did you get them?” Maya’s eyes are squeezed shut in bliss as she chews the warm pretzels. “They taste just like the ones Nana made!”

“Peggy helped me make them. She showed me exactly what to do, but I did the work.”

Maya swallows and looks at Limmie, eyes wide. “You made these? You made German Pretzels with the lye bath and everything?”

Limmie falls into Maya’s arms and snuggles down into her chest. “Of course I did. I had to wear some personal protective equipment, but Peggy showed me how to be careful and she explained we needed the lye to get it just right. I wanted to make something just for you that I knew you’d love.”

Maya squeezes Limmie and strokes her ears. “They’re wonderful hon. Thank you.”

[spontaneousmusicalnumber]

OK I gotta be careful about listening to A Court of Fey and Flowers at work

Like. It's not like I don't get my stuff done. I just look ridiculous with the amount I react. Also it's fucking dangerous

In episode 2 with Hob and Rue, overcome with emotion I was compelled to place my hand upon my chest to stem the flow of emotion welling up from my heart...

Only to remember in the nick of time that I was holding an open bottle of caustic sodium hydroxide.

Let it be known to all that I now understand Regency romance. And let it be known that I did not receive chemical burns upon this day.

[plethoraworldatlas]

Biodiversity advocates on Wednesday called on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to reject a new geoengineering project spearheaded by researchers in Massachusetts that one critic said would do "nothing to solve the root causes of the climate crisis and instead puts at risk the oceans' natural capacity to absorb carbon and their role in sustaining life on Earth."

Friends of the Earth (FOE) and other groups warned that an experiment called LOC-NESS by the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) carries "potentially catastrophic risks" for the Atlantic Ocean, where researchers have proposed dumping more than 60,000 gallons of sodium hydroxide near Cape Cod to test a "carbon dioxide removal approach" called Ocean Alkalinity Enhancement (OAE).

WHOI's website states that the experiment would involve the release of "nontoxic, fluorescent Rhodamine WT dye into the ocean from a research ship," with researchers tracking the dye's movement over 72 hours in order to determine whether the ocean's alkalinity could be enhanced.

If so, the scientists say, they could ultimately help to regulate atmospheric carbon.

The EPA's notice about the proposed study from last month, however, says that the project "would involve a controlled release of a sodium hydroxide solution"—which is "essentially lye, a substance known to cause chemical burns and one that must be handled with great care," according to Tom Goldtooth, co-founder and member of the board of directors of the national Climate Justice Alliance.

"Altering the chemical composition of the ocean under the guise of increasing its capacity to absorb carbon dioxide is misleading and dangerous," said Goldtooth. "An experiment centered on introducing this caustic substance into the sea should not be permitted... The geoengineering approach puts Earth's systems at risk in a faulty and false bid toward solving the climate crisis. It is what we call a false solution."

Friends of the Earth pointed out that WHOI's permit application to the EPA acknowledges that after changing the ocean's alkalinity, the researchers "have no direct way of measuring how much carbon dioxide will be removed by the experiment."

"The production of alkaline materials is extremely energy-intensive, releasing similar or even higher levels of greenhouse gasses than they remove upon being dumped into the ocean," said the group. "The researchers have declined to analyze how much carbon dioxide was released in the production, transportation, and dumping of the sodium hydroxide, making it impossible to know whether the technology even reduces greenhouse gas emissions."

[rumade]

Watching the How Do They Do It episode [S16/Ep18] about viscose, a synthetic fabric made from trees, and it's bonkers...

They take wood pulp from trees in Sweden and turn it into cellulose fluff and then paper, then ship to Germany where it gets dissolved in caustic soda (sodium hydroxide) and the resulting goop gets forced through nozzles to turn it into thread, neutralised with sulphuric acid, washed off with water, and spun onto reels.

And then shipped somewhere else and woven into the actual cloth... then shipped somewhere else to become clothes.

[causticpellets]

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[ltdppec]

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[neocogent]

Homemade Parodinal Recipe

Makes 150ml developer concentrate for B+W film and paper – enough for many rolls of film, see usage below. Cost: pennies per roll. Typical buy quantities may last a lifetime.

WEAR GLOVES – Caustic Soda burns are nasty! Work outside. It’s easy but be careful.

16 x 500mg tablets paracetamol, crushed (cheapest kind with no added stuff)

20g sodium metabisulphite (ebay, or sold as Camden tablets from brew supply)

19g sodium hydroxide (sold as Caustic soda in hardware stores)

Cooled boiled water (boiling softens and reduces dissolved oxygen), seal while cooling to reduce re-absorption.

1) Dissolve slowly 10g caustic soda in 50ml water. It will get warm. While still warm add the paracetamol, stir and allow to cool (always add soda to water and not the reverse).

2) Dissolve slowly 9g caustic soda in 70ml of water, allow to cool and add metabisulphite.

3) Mix two solutions at room temperature and add water up to 150ml. Decant to a darkened glass bottle that you can exclude air from. I use some well washed and dried discarded small medicine bottles because that’s what was around. Try to have as little air at top as feasible.

4) Allow to 'meld' for at least 72 hours. I gave it a shake now and then, no worries.

There will be crystals that deposit at the bottom of the bottle, those appear to act as oxygen scavengers and should not be removed.

Oh and word of warning - do the mixing in a well ventilated area and nowhere near photo film or paper as sulphur dioxide from camden tablets will fog them. Wear eye and skin protection when mixing, caustic soda burns are nasty. See “Fight Club”... Usage and Dilutions:

You can use like Rodinal developer. The batch you mixed is concentrated. It lasts for decades if well stored. Dilute it with water in various strengths for use. Like Rodinal it gives nice grain with lower ISO films, and pronounced grain, some say ugly even at higher ISO – say 400 and up. Longer development times seem more grainy. You have some control. See: Massive Dev Chart Film Development, Film Developing Database Examples:

1+25, faster, typically ~ 4-5 minutes. eg. 12ml into 300ml water, 150ml batch does 12 rolls of film.

1+50, slightly slower, around ~ 8 minutes but economical. eg. 6ml into 300ml water, gets 25rolls per batch.

1+100, for 60 minute stand development, acts as multi-ISO, grainy. eg. 3ml into 300ml – 50 rolls out of 150ml batch. Yikes.

(pdf printable version available here)

Notes:

This developer is usually made with sodium sulphite but sodium metabisulpite is often more readily available from brew supply shops (and cheaper). From my online reading I believe mixing the latter with sodium hydroxide converts it to the former and that's why it is mixed separately and then combined. In any case I've used the above method and it works fine.

I often fill 5ml syringes with the developer and have on hand for quick and easy measured use, quick mixing and then into film tank. Use old jars for mixing as you don't want this stuff on kitchen food utensils.

The above info was gleened from various online forums and sources. There are youtube videos showing how to make Parodinal as well.

[triflesandparsnips]

coccinelf said: This was absolutely fascinating! But as someone who has been using Marseilles soap and Alleppo soap for a decade, I'm still stuck as how in the world soap made with virgin olive oil can be that white!?!?

I'm pulling this reply out from the lavender soap shenanigan post because INFORMATION IS FUN.

As you may know, there are several different kinds of olive oil -- the Romans sorted them into five categories based on how ripe the olives were and where/how they were gathered, while these days we seem to differentiate them based on the amount of refining and the acid levels found within the finished oils. For soapmaking in particular, this site leaves out the "Extra Light/Light" olive oil given by the International Olive Council, but lists the remaining four as:

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Virgin Olive Oil

Pure Olive Oil

Pomace Olive Oil

Apparently it doesn't matter a whole lot which olive oil you use when you're making soap, aside from some fun properties related to arcane words like "trace" and "unsaponifiables", but one thing it can do is affect the color -- the "lower" the oil grade, the more green the soap, pomace olive oil soap being the greenest. Which, idk, may be a valuable thing for marketing purposes -- olives are (often) green, so it makes sense to have a green soap, right? Similarly, in America at least, white eggs are often cheaper than brown eggs (except for Easter time), because brown eggs look more "natural".

Marketing is made up by brain wizards, I am pretty sure.

ANYWAY. On the matter of white soap.

When I was originally researching the lavender soap, I kept running into recipes referencing "Venetian" soap, and trying to figure out whatever the fuck it was supposed to be is what led me toward researching the whole history of European soap-- and from there coming up with some Theories as to how maybe all the different major soap producers in Europe could've backwards-engineered the Aleppo soap they were getting via trade routes.

(Important History Note: Everyone is super fucking weird when it comes to Who Is the Originator of Really Nice Soap. Everyone. I have no idea why. Nobody is fucking reliable. I'm not reliable. Trust no one.)

Figure 1. Local soap truther.

... I should also say, now, that I have tried to write the following section thrice, and tumblr has eaten it every time. Therefore, let me instead give The Short Version:

Aleppo Soap (Syria)

Four ingredients:

olive oil

laurel berry oil

water

caustic soda (sodium hydroxide lye, made from ash of... some salt-tolerant plant, probably)

Hot process, as all these ye olde soap beauties are going to be -- cures for six months to a year -- does start green, but gets turns gold as it ages. The older the soap, the thicker the gold "rind" if you cut into the soap -- but the interior, where it hasn't dried/oxidized, is still green. (This, I suspect, is where the idea of shaving down your soaps and letting them dry for ages like that came from -- to get a uniform light color.)

Nablus Soap (Palestine)

Three ingredients:

olive oil

water

caustic soda (sodium hydroxide lye, made from barilla [a salt-tolerant marine plant] ash and lime)

Mentioned in this list because it's what I've been using in my soap experiments, as the soap closest to what would likely have been carried by Renaissance-era apothecaries. Hot process -- cures for 2 to 3 months, though I also saw up to 8 months -- starts gold and then, as it dries, turns a really bright white (and seems to turn whiter the older it ages).

Venetian Soap (Italy)

No fucking clue. It gets mentioned consistently in tons of early recipes, and I've come to the conclusion that it was an umbrella term for olive-oil soaps much the way we use Castile now, but there was also a thriving soapmaking guild system in Venice for a long time, and I don't speak enough Italian to track down and read their trade bills to try and figure out the ingredients list. Additionally, they were a major trading hub between the Middle East and the rest of Europe, so like, this bring it right back around to the idea of Venetian Soap just being an umbrella term for "the really good shit."

Castile Soap (Spain)

Three ingredients:

olive oil

water

caustic soda (sodium hydroxide lye, possibly? made from another salt-loving plant?)

I would say that aside from whatever the fuck was going on in Venice (if anything), this is the closest backwards-engineered European soap. Hot process -- 6 to 9 months to cure -- and while I didn't see anybody talking about color change in particular, you can see that in most how-tos and such, gold-to-cream-to-white is a pretty standard color range.

Marseilles Soap (France)

Here we finally start seeing some weird changes, which is why I put Marseilles Soap last (even though if you ask the French, they think they're the Original Deal). According to the 1688 Edict of Colbert, which naturally I cannot find a copy of and also, did I mention that I don't speak French, the ingredients are:

olive oil

water

salt

caustic soda (sodium hydroxide lye, possibly made from glasswort [a salt-tolerant marsh plant] ash)

The water and salt are separate here, but I've also seen local seawater being mentioned again, which would mix both. They also seem to use the saltwater to rinse the cooked soap goo, rather than have it part of the manufacture? No one else mentions doing something like that, thus making it a funky outlier. It is, once again, hot process -- it can take up to 12 months to cure -- and a color change from dark green to light beige is expected as they age (and also become longer lasting and gentler on the skin).

In conclusion:

Olive-oil soap often turns white, sometimes stays green, and either way, wow chemistry is neat.