Heavy lye soap bits won't dissolve when attempting fix via rebatch

[techiemeka]

So I had a bad soap day ... Citric acid added to oils instead of disolved in water first (it burns when melting oil, don't do it) and then a miscalc of the addtl lye needed to counter act the CA (used 1gm CA x 6.24gm lye, instead of the 10 x 6.24 -and yes I do know better) ....

So because a small batch (700gm oils) the transition from oils to rock hard Popsicle on a stick happened almost instantly. I managed to break up the pieces of the 'soap' into shards (it was almost like glass) and then started to rebatch by adding water and the missing CA. I put it all in a pan and in the oven (200'f) for many many hours. Approx 90% of the lye heavy soap disolved but I still have a few shards of the lye heavy soap (easy to notice as it was uncoloured and I had added pink clay to the rebatch mix) that will not dissolve (even when soaking my original mixing pots for cleaning, some of the lye did not dissolve).

I was hoping to save this small batch but now thinking its a waste ... But that aside, what is happening that is causing bits of this lye heavy soap to not dissolve? Curious .... Thx.

 

[techiemeka]

Anyone?

 

[Obsidian]

Sometimes small hard bits just don't like the melt. This is why I grate my soap before rebatching and I add more liquid then most people do, it can help sometimes.
I would probably cut my losses and toss the batch. I like to save soap when I can but if there are lye heavy bits, the soap is unsafe to use.

 

[cmzaha]

So I had a bad soap day ... instead of the 10 x 6.24 -and yes I do know better) ....

The multiplyer is 0.624 x citric acid not 6.24, for figuring out the extra lye. Not sure if that was what you were trying to say

 

[Zany_in_CO]

My favorite way to rebatch: Preheat oven to 250°F. Grate soap. Add to large stainless steel pot. Cover and put it in the oven for 1 hour. At the end of the hour, it should be molten. Give it a stir and mold it up. That being said, I think it might be best to calculate the total amount of CA you added. Check it against what it should be. If it's more than 0.624 %, then the "glass shards" may be a result of separation. Or... Maybe test the pH? If it's acidic, then adding a bit more NaOH might help. I'm not about to do the math. LOL NOT my strong suit.

HTH :bunny:
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[cmzaha]

Rebatching in the oven always gives me a much better molten melt

 

[IrishLass]

Rebatching in the oven always gives me a much better molten melt

Me, too.


IrishLass