One of the basic materials for soap-making,universally adopted, is caustic soda.As a chemical substance,it is expected to participate in the chemical reaction involving the other major,oil or fat,to produce soap and a by-product,called glycerin.Commercially, caustic soda exist as very small white solid balls called "pearls."
How then can caustic soda solution be prepared? The following are the tips :
1. Do not use aluminium wares at all.They are destroyed whenever caustic soda touched them.
2. Get three 10L plastic buckets,hydrometer,water, caustic soda pearls,stirring rod,pencil,and a white A4 paper.
3. Fill one 10L bucket half-full with water.
4.Add caustic soda pearls,a little at a time,with stirring(using the rod) to the water in the 10L bucket.
5. Allow the added caustic soda to dissolve completely before a new batch is introduced.
6. Use the hydrometer to check the level(or relative density) of the solute-caustic soda -in water.
7. Note that the hydrometer value in step 6 is in error because the dissolution step (the process of adding water to the solid) gives out heat-an exothermic reaction.Hence,the solution becomes hot.Again,the hydrometer reading when the solution is cool(or at room temperature) will be slightly higher than what was measured in step 6.
8. Continue the addition of caustic soda pearls if the hydrometer reading obtained in step 6 is lower than the desired value.
9. Add water,a little at a time,and read the hydrometer level intermittently if the value obtained in step 6 is higher than the desired value.
10. Note that for a good quality home-made soap,the relative density,as obtained on the hydrometer should range between 1100 and 1175.
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