adding water to lye

[cheri_j]

Hi Everyone

I'm a toastmaster and I am getting ready to present a speech on soap making. I want to emphasize adding lye to water and not water to lye. I've never added water to lye, so I don't know exactly what happens. What happens when you add water to lye? I just know it's bad.

 

[Candybee]

I haven't done it either. But the result would be explosive. I would test it outdoors away from any children, pets, etc and coverup completely especially your face and stand as far away from it as possible. Don't think I would try it indoors. Lye particles could fly out everywhere.

 

[Ruthie]

I think I'd avoid the experience and just talk about it. Or maybe someone has been crazy enough to Youtube it.

 

[Paintguru]

http://antoine.frostburg.edu/chem/senese/101/safety/faq/always-add-acid.shtml

Same idea with a base.

 

[soapguy]

Splatter! Splatter! and you run to the sink to wash your face.

Chemistry saying.... do as you oughta add acid to water. Substitute base for acid.

 

[DeeAnna]

I can speak from experience as a once-ignorant undergrad in chemistry class.

Sometimes nothing too awful will happen, but I don't recommend ever assuming this is an okay thing to do! Please do as I say, not as I once or twice did ... and quickly learned not to do.

Worst case is not really an explosion unless you are really, really foolish and mix a lye solution in a closed container. (Thankfully I wasn't that foolish.)

What actually happens, again speaking from experience, is a large amount of lye in a small amount of water heats the water quickly enough that it boils violently and produces steam. This throws lye vapor and droplets of concentrated lye solution into the air around the container and onto any exposed body parts, including the face and eyes.

Fun. Not!

After I got a clue in chem class, my mental picture of how to do this safely was this -- Lye (and Acid) are Higher on the alphabet than Water. So when I mix, my Lye should always be Higher than my Water, just like it is in the alphabet. This memory aid might not work well for some, but it sure kept my fanny out of trouble a few times!

 

[Nevada]

add lye to the wadda like you adda

 

[Candybee]

You know I want to revise what I posted earlier. Since you are planning on doing a demo with people around I would not do a live one. If you must, do a video of your test and show that instead. They will get the idea when they see the full armour suit covering from head to toe, the explosion from the lye once the water hits. It might be interesting to do a video but if you must please be very careful and do suit up like a knight in armour or an eskimo with full face coverage including eyes.

If you do make a video it would be interesting to see it.

 

[DeeAnna]

I don't think anyone including the OP is proposing to actually do this. Just talking about it.....

 

[cheri_j]

I'm not planning on doing any demonstrations, I just want to emphasize the dangers of getting the order wrong. I am planning on presenting with a power point presentation, but I will not be mixing any lye. Thank you so much for all of your answers.

 

[Candybee]

Ahhh... got it.

 

[dcornett]

Good luck on your presentation!

 

[Aunt Polly]

I think I learned this from this forum:

"Snowflakes on the lake"

It helps me remember the correct order. :razz:

 

[Lotus]

Yes, cheri, I believe the main concern is splashing.