Lye Forming Crust

[theladyfarmer]

I am making soap today and the lye is forming crust as it cools. Is this okay?

 

[ewhitake]

Dumb questions:
1. Tap or distilled water?
2. Is the liquid from ice cubes?
3. Any additives added to water?
4. What purity is your lye?
5. Did you stir until lye was dessolved?

 

[theladyfarmer]

Dumb questions:
1. Tap or distilled water?
2. Is the liquid from ice cubes?
3. Any additives added to water?
4. What purity is your lye?
5. Did you stir until lye was dessolved?

I used filtered water! No ice cubes were used. No additives. I'm not sure of the purity. It was from essential depot on Amazon. Yes I stirred until dissolved

 

[artemis]

Search the forum for "lye lint"

 

[ewhitake]

I used filtered water! No ice cubes were used. No additives. I'm not sure of the purity. It was from essential depot on Amazon. Yes I stirred until dissolved

I’ll define to others but maybe check the purity of the lye. It should be 99%. And also try distilled water. Depending on where you live the water may have too many impurities

 

[Ekuzo]

I was going to suggest sodium carbonate, or the same as artemis said. Actually, I've never had it form like that and I don't even cover the pitcher with the solution - for how long was it exposed to get such a dense coverage?

 

[DeeAnna]

Most commercial NaOH -- the kind of NaOH most small-scale soap makers are going to buy -- is not 99% purity. It's more likely to be 93% to 97% pure based on what I've seen over the years.

Even Essential Depot's certificate of analysis, back when they had COAs on their website, reported a 95% minimum purity for their NaOH.

Based on my time working in chemical processing plants, that requirement would drive the plant to produce NaOH with a typical purity that's slightly higher than the minimum, but only just high enough for the plant to meet its standards comfortably and consistently. If this is still the same standard for EDs NaOH today, I'd expect it to be around 97% purity.