How to Mix Titanium Dioxide

[sygrid]

First know which kind you have: Water or Oil Soluable\

For Water: Put your TD into your lye/water right after you have mixed in your lye. I use a whisk in a tall juice jug so not to have any splash. First I whisk the lye, then I whisk the TD.
The idea is not to beat the lye, just whisk until the TD is mixed thoroughly. I also do this with my mica's, right into the lye. The HEAT is the key to totally dissolving the TD and the mica.
Some mica's disappear in the lye, and it looks like there is no colour in there at all but most come back once the soap has gelled.
I periodically go back and give it a whisk while I'm waiting for it to cool. Add about a 1/2 tsp per lb of total batch weight.

Same deal with the Oil soluable, right in with the melting oils. Trace is far too cool to have it dissolve properly and you get the TD slime people talk about.

TD is great for making pastels out of colours that are too strong for the look you are going for. It doesn't take much so go easy, you can always add more.


Hope this helps,

Sygrid
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[carebear]

GREAT info.

And let me take this opportunity to remind you all that you absolutely MUST wear eye protection during this process!!!! And no - your regular glasses aren't enough. Goggles or a face shield.

 

[sygrid]

Good Point.

Safety first, I agree it can't be stressed enough.


I do wear goggles and gloves for this and I don't whisk fast, it's more of a stir than a whisking. I use a whisk so the mix doesn't gain any momentum in the jug. If you used a spoon the whole thing would start moving and the danger of splashing would increase. So really the whisk is a safer route to take as the only thing that is moving is the whisk.
I should have clarified that, thanx again carebear.

Sygrid

 

[sygrid]

If you are unsure of which Titanium Dioxide you have, take a small amount and mix it in a bit of very hot water. If it mixes easily then you have water soluable.
If it doesn't mix well, then you have oil soluable. Try it in some hot oil to see the difference. Test this before you add it to your lye or oils and you will never again have an unpleasant experience.
Suppliers can sometimes make a mistake and send you the wrong one so I check each shipment when it comes in. I prefer the water soluable as the lye carries more heat and the dissolve is faster, but both are good.

Good Luck!

Sygrid

 

[Manchy]

i'm afraid of lye water splashing around, so i use only oil soluble one. i put it in castor oil, together with eo's, mix well and at light trace add to the rest of the soap.

 

[Sparklebrook]

Great info. What about when you just want to whiten a part of the batch?

 

[sygrid]

You will have the best results if you remove the size of portion you want lightened at very light trace and add either TD or white mica at that point. I would suggest the Mica, as it will be easier to incorporate. Whisk it in, slowly and carefully. The whisk will work to evenly distribute the mica better than a spatula. I buy the tiny whisks from the kitchen stores. The heads on these are about 4 inches long and they are narrow. I use them specifically for whisking colours into small portions of batches. Less chance of splash. The 7 colour swirl that is on my site (see link below) was done like that, 7 small batches each with a different colour.

Hope this helps,

Sygrid

 

[Sparklebrook]

Cool. Thanks!