Potassium Hydroxide from wood ash

[bc.gold 3,403]

I'm using rain water to leach out the potassium hydroxide, you can use tap water for the same purpose. No need to heat the water use it cold.

 

Filled the cut off water tank full to the top, once the water was added the solids shrunk. I then refilled the tank to the brim then let the water rain out slowly.

 

The ph paper shows the liquid coming off to be very alkaline - caustic.

 

You can use the potassium hydroxide to make soap or use it as a de-greaser which is much better at cutting through grease than sodium hydroxide aka lye.

 

Hot tank  your next engine rebuild in potassium hydroxide.

 

Keep in mind not  to introduce pot metal, aluminum or brass parts into the alky solution, they may not be there when you come back to check on them hours later.

 

 

 

Edited September 17, 2020 by bcgold

[bc.gold 3,403]

The last step shown in this video separates the potassium hydroxide from the potassium carbonate.

 

 

Edited September 18, 2020 by bcgold

[Greentored 3,201]

Very interesting!

Oak tree 'droppings' are a big problem here- the acidic nature will leave the ground bare under a lot of these trees, and no grass will grow. Now I know why they say to spread the wood ash around in these areas....and it works, or certainly helps!

Edited September 18, 2020 by Greentored

[bc.gold 3,403]

4 hours ago, Greentored said:

Very interesting!

Oak tree 'droppings' are a big problem here- the acidic nature will leave the ground bare under a lot of these trees, and no grass will grow. Now I know why they say to spread the wood ash around in these areas....and it works, or certainly helps!

 

If you don't have wood ash to spread under the Oak trees you can purchase hydrated lime at your local home and garden, hardware or lumber yard.

 

Lime ( Calcium hydroxide ) was also used to whitewash chicken coops and barns, not many people do this in modern times and  are missing out on the benefits on good animal husbandry .

 

Whitewash aids in sanitation by coating and smoothing over the rough surfaces. Successive applications of whitewash build up layers of scale that flake off and, in the process, remove surface debris. The coating also has antimicrobial properties that provide hygienic and sanitary benefits for animal barns.

Edited September 18, 2020 by bcgold

[formariz 11,987]

On 9/18/2020 at 10:37 AM, bcgold said:

 

Lime ( Calcium hydroxide ) was also used to whitewash chicken coops and barns, not many people do this in modern times and  are missing out on the benefits on good animal husbandry .

 

Whitewash aids in sanitation by coating and smoothing over the rough surfaces. Successive applications of whitewash build up layers of scale that flake off and, in the process, remove surface debris. The coating also has antimicrobial properties that provide hygienic and sanitary benefits for animal barns.

Back in my country when I was very young, there was nothing else really besides white wash. It was used on every surface from from animal housing to human housing and on exterior walls and stone fencing. It was bought in rock form and then dissolved with water. It was a yearly ritual everything being coated with it. One day when around 6 I believe, I picked up one of the "rocks" and wet it noticing that it "sizzled" . Found it interesting so I put it in my pocket where it continued to dissolve burning through my pants and eventually into my thigh as I desperately tried to take it out of my pocket. Left a nice burn the size of a half dollar.

[bc.gold 3,403]

2 hours ago, formariz said:

Back in my country when I was very young, there was nothing else really besides white wash. It was used on every surface from from animal housing to human housing and on exterior walls and stone fencing. It was bought in rock form and then dissolved with water. It was a yearly ritual everything being coated with it. One day when around 6 I believe, I picked up one of the "rocks" and wet it noticing that it "sizzled" . Found it interesting so I put it in my pocket where it continued to dissolve burning through my pants and eventually into my thigh as I desperately tried to take it out of my pocket. Left a nice burn the size of a half dollar.

 

Where you as a lad any wheres near a kiln where they processed regular limestone into quicklime.

 

Put your calcium carbonate in the kiln.

Here you will begin the process of turning your rock mixture into quicklime. Heat your calcium carbonate directly on the flame until it becomes red hot. Do this for about 2-3 minutes. The rock will decompose on heating to create calcium oxide (quicklime) and carbon dioxide.