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If you have purchased 32lbs (16 x 2lb) bottles of sodium hydroxide (LYE) for $33.33 at => http://www.essentialdepot.com/servlet/the-5/32-lbs-Food-Grade/Detail - PLEASE READ THIS
Technical Advisory From Essential Depot on how to avoid "Batch Problems" when making soap.
Essential Depot has received varying customer (as well as non-customer) inquiries ranging from "why is my lye water cloudy" or "why does my lye water have a film" and extending to "why is my soap not setting" or "why does my soap appear to have ashes". Some customers think it's a bad batch of Lye. Thus far Essential Depot has not, despite extensive testing and validation with customers, been able to identify a bad batch from our US Manufacturer of our Food Grade Lye. This is good news for us and our customers.
Remember as you read this, that it is only a tiny percentage of our customers that are asking these questions, but we felt it important to relay the following to all. It is clear from our extensive investigations, in depth batch checking and discussions with our customers, that Essential Depot sells the best and most consistent Sodium Hydroxide for Soap Making, or Pretzel Making.
The goal of this advisory is to explain the many factors which can contribute to inconsistencies between batches of soap. Below is a list of the most common reasons for bad batches, that Essential Depot and its customers have thus far identified.
Does it matter what size Sodium Hydroxide particle I use?
Yes, it does matter in soap making. As Sodium Hydroxide is hygroscopic, it absorbs the water until the outside of particle breaks apart at which time the Sodium Hydroxide then dissolves into the water. Essential Depot's Sodium Hydroxide is comprised of "evenly-sized micro beds". It is the only Sodium Hydroxide in the country manufactured in that manner. This means that each particle absorbs the water at the same rate and, therefore, breaks down at the same time to dissolve in the water. Such even dilution of the Sodium Hydroxide in the water allows for even distribution of the Sodium Hydroxide in the oil for saponification. It also allows for even distribution of colorants and scents. Other companies will offer Sodium Hydroxide in other forms such as flake, pellet, etc... Since you can control the absorption rate of the Sodium Hydroxide, you have no way to know if or when each and every flake/pellet/etc. has absorbed enough water to break apart and dissolve in the water. Your final loaf of soap will probably be soft (not set) or set in some areas but not in other areas.
Does it matter if I use food grade lye
Yes, it does matter in soap making; and clearly for use in food making. Essential Depot's Food Grade Sodium Lye has a much lower parts per million of the heavy metal impurities that can cause cloudiness in you soaps. Beware of drain cleaners they are typically technical grade lye.
Strength of Sodium Hydroxide.
Essential Depot`s Sodium Hydroxide is manufactured in the U.S.A. by a very large reputable chemical company. Each batch of Sodium Hydroxide has been tested and each batch has a minimum NaOH strength of 96% but is typically 2% to 3% higher (see the Certificate Of a***ysis at http://www.EssentialDepot.com/MSDS ). Therefore, as a result, there can be a variation in Sodium Hydroxide strength from batch to batch. Hence, the reason it is so very important to make a small batch using Sodium Hydroxide from each different batch number prior to any large batch making. You should then adjust your recipe accordingly. If you fail to do then your end result could be soap that does not set or soap that is too alkaline. Sodium Hydroxide from China or Mexico provided by other suppliers/vendors can vary by greater percentages.
Water -- Distilled vs Purified vs Filtered vs Tap?
Since Sodium Hydroxide chemically reacts with anything animal, vegetable, and mineral, it is extremely important to use only distilled water. Please do your research as some distilled waters are not truly distilled water and will, therefore, contain impurities. Filtered Water, Purified Water, and Tap Water (the water from you faucet) each have impurities. There is not way around the, those waters will absolutely have impurities such as Fluoride, Carbonates, Chlorine, Lime, Calcium, Sulphur, Phosphorous, etc... When there are impurities in your water, then your Sodium Hydroxide will chemically react with those impurities. That react creates the appearance of "cloudy lye water". It may even create a "film" and/or "black specks". This is because the Sodium Hydroxide has "saponified" (chemically reacted) with those impurities just as the Sodium Hydroxide reacts with the fats/oils. The end result may be black specks in your soap or soap that does not set. Sodium Hydroxide from China or Mexico provided by other suppliers/vendors can vary by greater percentages.
What is that film on my lye water?
That film is perfectly normal. It is merely the Sodium Carbonate (Na2CO3). Mostly the Sodium Carbonate that is already in the Sodium Hydroxide (a maximum of 1.6% as can be seen in the Certificate a***ysis at http://www.EssentialDepot.com/MSDS ). But secondarily the Sodium Carbonate that develops naturally by reaction of the lye water with the oxygen in the air.
Contaminants -- Container and/or Utensil residue.
Washing a container with detergent may leave a residue. Not rinsing and cleaning sufficiently between batches may leave an invisible film of contaminants. That residue is then "saponified" by the Sodium Hydroxide. The end result may be black specks in your soap or soap that does not set. In the Essential Depot Testing Stations, the lye water containers and utensils are merely rinsed well with cold running water.
Container.
The age, condition, and quality of your mixing container does matter. You should use only HDPE or Stainless Steel. Glass is not recommended because after many uses, you will notice the finish on the inside is etched by the Sodium Hydroxide, and appears to be scratched or hazy/cloudy. After a lot of use this can be dangerous as the glass can shatter. A rhetorical question: what do think has happened with that finish on the container, the chemical components that made up that finish? Absolutely correct, the Sodium Hydroxide has damaged (actually altered and removed from the container). Where did it go? Into your lye water causing the cloudiness and/or film which can result in "black specks" in your soap. In the Essential Depot Testing Stations, the lye water containers and utensils are used a few times and then used for the other ingredients.
Weighing your Sodium Hydroxide.
It is extremely important that you make sure to make sure that you scale is calibrated and functioning properly. If your scale is not, then you will have fluctuations in the amount of Sodium Hydroxide that you use. When your scale is not calibrated, you think that you have measured "X" quant**y of Sodium Hydroxide for your recipe when in fact you have not, the quant**y is something different. Likewise, when your scale is not functioning properly. In the Essential Depot Testing Station, a 1 pound stainless steel weight is maintained. That 1 pound weight is used at the inception of each session to assure that the scale is calibrated and functioning properly.
Correct procedure for mixing lye water.
You must always add the Sodium Hydroxide to water, and not vice-versa. As well, you must always add the Sodium Hydroxide SLOWLY to the water while constantly mixing. Sodium Hydroxide is hygroscopic. However, its hygroscopic properties can only react at a certain rate. So, if you just pour all of your Sodium Hydroxide at one time and then stir, the hygroscopic properties of the Sodium Hydroxide are impeded and sometimes stunted. Generally you will see this resulting in lye water that has "crystals". Those crystals are Sodium Hydroxide which has bonded together (sometimes enclosing moisture, sometimes enclosing air, etc...) and in which all of the Sodium Hydroxide has not been afforded the opportunity to absorb the water. When you then use that crystalline lye water in your soap making it continues those pockets which appear to you in the end result loaf of soap as "sand pebbles" or "lumps". Typically, your pH testing will reveal this result as the "sand pebbles" or "lumps" will test very alkaline while other parts of the soap will test at normal, but could be soft and never harden. This can also appear as "ashes" inside or outside your soap. Sometimes you can break down the "crystals" in the lye water by adding some additional water and stirring routinely over a long period of time but this is not always successful.
Climate -- Temperature and Humidity.
Climate does matter: temperature, humidity, etc... And for this reason you should not measure your Sodium Hydroxide until you are ready to mix it with your water/liquid. If the Sodium Hydroxide sits exposed to the air, then it absorbs the moisture from the air diluting the Sodium Hydroxide. Varying climate temperatures, varying humidity, etc... effects ingredients in the soap making process as well as the methods in the process itself. You may have a mixing time of 5 minutes in the tropics but that mixing time would be different if you were in Alaska trying to use the same recipe. Humidity acutely effects the Sodium Hydroxide. Since Sodium Hydroxide is hygroscopic it will absorb and retain all of the moisture from the air. The result is a reduced saponification factor for that quant**y of Sodium Hydroxide. You end result will then be soap that does not set.
Exposure to air.
Since Sodium Hydroxide is hygroscopic, it absorbs moisture. This includes the moisture in the air. For this reason you should not measure your Sodium Hydroxide until you are ready to mix it with your water/liquid. If the Sodium Hydroxide sits exposed to the air, then it absorbs the moisture from the air diluting the Sodium Hydroxide. So, it only makes sense, that if you live in a very humid area then your Sodium Hydroxide will be diluted more than if you live not so humid area.
Temperature.
Temperature also matters: temperature of your lye water, temperature of your fats/oils, temperature at pouring, etc... Soap texture problems may be due to temperature issues during the soap making process. If your lye water is less than 100 degrees F, the Sodium Hydroxide then has a tendency to form ash deep in the soap. As well, that soap may sweat and take longer to set under more humid conditions or even not set up at all.
Pebble like stones in soap.
Mix lye slowly and evenly into water. You MUST allow time for the Sodium Hydroxide to absorb the water (see: "Correct procedure for mixing lye water." above).
Essential Depot prides itself on the quality of our Food Grade Sodium Hydroxide ("Lye") and values your input. Please reply to this email if you have any other tips we can pass on to your fellow soap makers, and please post this bulletin to the forums you take part in.
Thank You from the staff of Essential Depot.
Posted 9 years, 11 months Ago
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Posted 10 years, 3 months Ago
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Posted 10 years, 9 months Ago
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