Search results

Given that Noreen said that coco butter melts in her hand, but this does NOT, it's probably NOT kokum butter. The melting point given for coco butter is usually around 90F, and kokum butter 90-104F. The melting point for sodium lactate is over 300. Simple enough to do a quick melt test...

Please let us know. Using BB's 24oz bottle of 60%sodium lactate ($6.00), as an example, and adjusting for specific gravity, the actual cost ($/tsp) would be about 0.04-0.06 cents/tsp. How much will 14.4oz (408 Yes, 60% of a tsp. dissolved in a little of your lye water.

There are only 3 books listed in WorldCat addressing wood ash. Two of them I am familiar with from my days doing wood fired ceramic. These books contain detailed chemical analysis of a variety of different woods. The first is Ash glazes by Robert Tichane (ISBN:978-0873416603), the second...

My advice, THROW IT OUT, and use the no fail liquid sodium lactate. No sense wasting time or treasure. As a scientist, 1) We NEVER use anything than is not in a properly labeled container, supplied by a reputable vendor. 2) It would be interesting to melt the material you have, and measure...

Are you sure what you have is actually sodium lactate?? What was your source. All of the suppliers I researched, offered powder, but none offered "chunks."

If you're talking about the powder form, the melting point is 161-165 C, or 322-324 F. If you're talking about the liquid form, as Dee Anna mentioned, it's sold as a 60% solution, referred to as a syrup. The solubility of sodium lactate in water is greater than 1.5grams/ml, accounting for...

A soapmakers group in my neighborhood, asked me about the cause DOS. I gave them the following answer: DOS are the results of "oxidation." Oxidation occurs when the double bonds in a fatty acid chain are attacked by singlet oxygen radicals. In considering the potential for DOS, consider...

George, Sorry I neglected to include this in my original post. But, to put all of this in perspective (and for those who didn't read the article), keep in mind, that the primary issues, addressed in Dunn's article are 1) The purpose of "superfatting," or lye discounting, is "to cope with the...

Yup! All we need is $100K in equipment, and some graduate students to run all of the repetitive analysis. Ah, to be back in school! George, Sorry I neglected to include this in my original post. But, to put all of this in perspective (and for those who didn't read the article), keep in mind...

Hi George, you're pretty much right on. I, as well, would like to see this study repeated, using a 5, 10, 15, and 20% lye discount, and results taken at 0,12,24,36, and 48 hours. s.

Hi Saffron, you get my vote for MOST IMPORTANT post of the day! If you don't want to wade thru Dunn's amazing (but laborious) book, this 3 page paper may change the way you at formulating, and processing your soap. There are 3 main takeaways, 1) "the supperfatting hypothesis is NOT supported."...

Hi Sonny, Good logical question. 1) Yes Calcium lactate is definitely soluble in water, at the rate of 4.8g/100ml (10c), 5.8/100/ml (20c), 6.7/100ml (25c), 8.7g/100ml @(30c), and 7.9g/100ml @30c. 2) While the Na salts (soaps) of fatty acids are highly soluble, the Ca, and Mg salts (soaps)...

- If you don't find her insults to my personal, and professional integrity offensive, then we have a different standard of acceptable behavior. I'm sorry that you find simple, basic, straight forward scientific facts, to be "jargon." If you needed more clarification, all you had to do is ask...

Thanks for your input. I looks like I have my work cut out for me, BTW, have you read all of DeeAnna's unfounded, unnecessary, and insulting responses, (to the sound scientific data I provided her) that provoked this response? BTW, have you read all of Dee Anna's rude, unfounded...

Your opinion is noted. Sorry, I forgot to ask, Benefit about what??

I rest my case. A predictable response!

Hi Atiz, Thank you for the great response. Anecdotal evidence is where research starts. The questions are "why did it occur," under what circum-stances, and does it always occur, and to the same degree. So the question is why does it occur in small, open face molds, not always in loaf molds...

Thanks Penelopejane. The more I read, the less I believe it's soda ash. I also think you're right about the water. That makes sense for a lot of reasons. So, I'm doing two experiments. 1. Reducing my water by 10 and 15 percent. 2. Placing half of the samples in my vacuum chamber...

1st "tri"glycerides (acylglyerols) are composed of a 3 carbon, glycerol backbone ( having 3 functional groups (OH) that can be "esterified"with 1,2,or 3 fatty acids forming mono, di, or tri glycerides, via these "ester" bonds. As you probably know, soaps are formed from the reaction of...

Thanks moodymama. This website (and it's endless links) has the best, and most useful, information on soaping issues, that I've seen online. It appears that WATER is a bigger nemesis than many soapers realize, and that the greater the amount of mono and polyunsaturated oils; the greater the...