Lye solution solidified

[Jae]

So I mixed my lye solution the same way as always, 227.36g of lye and 481g of water. But when I poured it into my oil I found that part of it had just solidified in the bottom of the jug! It kind if looks like ice and it is rock hard. Absolutely nothing was different about this time compared to previous times so I have no idea what happened. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

[shunt2011]

It looks like your lye didn’t dissolve. But hard to see for sure

 

[DeeAnna]

It's solidified NaOH. I can think of 3 things you may have done differently even though you don't think you did anything different. You switched the NaOH weight for the water weight (possible) or your lye is cold enough the NaOH solidified out of solution (not too likely) or you didn't sufficiently stir the NaOH right when it was first dissolving (IMO the most likely possibility).

If it's the third scenario, next time add the NaOH slower so you don't get a big bunch of crystals on the bottom -- they tend to melt together into a big lump if you add a large amount all at once especially if you aren't stirring thoroughly. As you stir, be sure to scrape the bottom of the jug and keep stirring until you can't see any particles floating in the mixture or settling to the bottom.

 

[Jae]

It's solidified NaOH. I can think of 3 things you may have done differently even though you don't think you did anything different. You switched the NaOH weight for the water weight (possible) or your lye is cold enough the NaOH solidified out of solution (not too likely) or you didn't sufficiently stir the NaOH right when it was first dissolving (IMO the most likely possibility).

If it's the third scenario, next time add the NaOH slower so you don't get a big bunch of crystals on the bottom -- they tend to melt together into a big lump if you add a large amount all at once especially if you aren't stirring thoroughly. As you stir, be sure to scrape the bottom of the jug and keep stirring until you can't see any particles floating in the mixture or settling to the bottom.

Hmm, I think I must've not stirred it well enough then.

Thank you for the help

Are the jugs useless now or is there some way to remove/dissolve the lye?

 

[penelopejane]

You won’t know how much lye is left there is no use redissolving it. Soap made with the liquid used without the undissolved lye might not work - depending on how much is left.

 

[DeeAnna]

You can add more water to the jug with the layer of solid NaOH -- maybe fill the jug about half full. The extra water will gradually dissolve the solid lye. Sometimes you can break up the solid material so it dissolves a little faster, but work safely if you try that just in case there are splashes as you work.

It will be tough to know the amount of NaOH in this mixture and tough to control the concentration accurately so it's not going to be useful for making soap. I'd discard the dissolved NaOH solution by slowly pouring it down the drain with lots of COLD water to dilute the lye. Run the water for several minutes after the solution is gone to flush the pipes.

I agree with PenelopeJane that the soap you made from just the liquid solution will have a higher superfat. It might not be the best soap in the world.

 

[Jae]

You can add more water to the jug with the layer of solid NaOH -- maybe fill the jug about half full. The extra water will gradually dissolve the solid lye. Sometimes you can break up the solid material so it dissolves a little faster, but work safely if you try that just in case there are splashes as you work.

It will be tough to know the amount of NaOH in this mixture and tough to control the concentration accurately so it's not going to be useful for making soap. I'd discard the dissolved NaOH solution by slowly pouring it down the drain with lots of COLD water to dilute the lye. Run the water for several minutes after the solution is gone to flush the pipes.

I agree with PenelopeJane that the soap you made from just the liquid solution will have a higher superfat. It might not be the best soap in the world.

I don't mean to use the lye that's left in the jug, I meant how can I get it out to dispose of it! I had this happen with two jugs and one does still have a lot of water in it, but still has the completely solid layer at the bottom. Will it maybe take a few days to dissolve?

 

[shunt2011]

Pour what you've got mixed as per DeeAnna's direction by running lots of water. I would then try to break up the solid in the bottom of the container (carefully with protective gear) and then add water to see if it will dissolve the rest.

 

[DeeAnna]

...how can I get it out to dispose of it! I had this happen with two jugs and one does still have a lot of water in it, but still has the completely solid layer at the bottom. Will it maybe take a few days to dissolve?

Yes, it will take time if you leave the NaOH in a solid layer. I can't tell you how long. Just that it will take time. If you can break the solid NaOH up, like I said before and Shari has also recommended, it will dissolve faster.

As the solid NaOH dissolves, you can discard the liquid solution down the drain and add new water to the jug -- keeping the NaOH solution as dilute as possible will also help. I don't recommend discarding any solid NaOH down the drain for safety reasons -- discard the liquid solution only.