Chemical Warfare or H+(aq) + Cl-(aq) + Na+(aq) + OH-(aq) -> Na+(aq) + Cl-(aq) + H2O(l)
Today I am cleaning my basement. (yawn!) But oh... this isn't just any basement. I used to make soap for a living, and still have lots of supplies left over that I have been ignoring for the past year.
Of note, I have about 40 lbs of sodium hydroxide (NaOH) and 50 lbs of potassium hydroxide (KOH) to dispose of. To the layman, NaOH is better known as the main ingredient in drain opener. KOH is almost as bad. Both are extremely caustic and react violently with water. A solution of NaOH and water reaches 180 degrees Fahrenheit during the initial reaction; then it cools down into a viscous, clear fluid with a pH of about 13. Yes, it will melt your hand like a Hershey bar in Osama's pocket.
I can't just throw it out; the risk of seriously harming a waste collection worker is too great, not to mention the harm to wildlife in a landfill. I looked online for methods to neutralize NaOH, and found that the best method is to mix it with equal parts (by molecular weight) of pure hydrochloric acid.(!) The result of the mix would be table salt and water. Okie - let me check my cupboard and see if I have any!
I had considered making shitty soap with it (which is technically a salt plus glycerin and thus a fairly neutral pH), but then what to do with the resulting soap? Plus, I actually have more NaOH and KOH than I have oils to mix it with.
Yes, I considered selling this to another soapmaker (but shipping is an issue). There was a soapmaker not far from me that had a shop, but she went out of business too.
I'm debating if I want to call my supplier and see if they can help me. My gut feeling is that they will not. Urgh!
ETA - Oh shit... I completely forgot about the 4 gallons of denatured 200 proof alcohol that I have in a drum. Shit shit shit. The only practical use I can think of for that is to use it in bunson burners in a chemistry lab. Or just dump it and let it evaporate (I've actually gotten drunk just breathing the fumes of this stuff). Or.. dump it and throw a match at it! Yeah! That will be fun!!! LMAO - maybe I should contact whats-his-face from Jackass - The Movie and see if he wants to play!
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Of note, I have about 40 lbs of sodium hydroxide (NaOH) and 50 lbs of potassium hydroxide (KOH) to dispose of. To the layman, NaOH is better known as the main ingredient in drain opener. KOH is almost as bad. Both are extremely caustic and react violently with water. A solution of NaOH and water reaches 180 degrees Fahrenheit during the initial reaction; then it cools down into a viscous, clear fluid with a pH of about 13. Yes, it will melt your hand like a Hershey bar in Osama's pocket.
I can't just throw it out; the risk of seriously harming a waste collection worker is too great, not to mention the harm to wildlife in a landfill. I looked online for methods to neutralize NaOH, and found that the best method is to mix it with equal parts (by molecular weight) of pure hydrochloric acid.(!) The result of the mix would be table salt and water. Okie - let me check my cupboard and see if I have any!
I had considered making shitty soap with it (which is technically a salt plus glycerin and thus a fairly neutral pH), but then what to do with the resulting soap? Plus, I actually have more NaOH and KOH than I have oils to mix it with.
Yes, I considered selling this to another soapmaker (but shipping is an issue). There was a soapmaker not far from me that had a shop, but she went out of business too.
I'm debating if I want to call my supplier and see if they can help me. My gut feeling is that they will not. Urgh!
ETA - Oh shit... I completely forgot about the 4 gallons of denatured 200 proof alcohol that I have in a drum. Shit shit shit. The only practical use I can think of for that is to use it in bunson burners in a chemistry lab. Or just dump it and let it evaporate (I've actually gotten drunk just breathing the fumes of this stuff). Or.. dump it and throw a match at it! Yeah! That will be fun!!! LMAO - maybe I should contact whats-his-face from Jackass - The Movie and see if he wants to play!
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