Tech Grade Lye vs. Food Grade Lye

[Mark Zizzi]

Don't know about all that stuff but I already asked Tom this question on page 1. His answer was:
"Same concentration as with NaOH."
Close enough for me... ;)

[Tom Neitzel]

I actually run it a little stronger.  I had to double check.  Just because I don't want a part empty bottle laying around.   So it comes in 2 lb bottles.  I but one bottle in 5 gallons.  Dissolves almost instantly since it is flakes.

I picked it up since I wanted to see what the original lye was like.  I suppose I could let it crystallize and use it as a leavening agent (potash or pearl ash is the name).

Tom

[Tom Neitzel]

Just ran across an article that says about 100 time more Sodium Hydroxide is produced than Potassium Hydroxide annually.  Just a bit of trivia.

[Jeff Friend]

Cheryl poses the question "Potassium Hydroxide has heavier (more weight) than Sodium Hydroxide, and therefore would require LESS of the Potassium Hydroxide when mixing to achieve the same ratios.......??"

No.  The active ingredient is the hydroxide (the OH part).  The sodium or potassium are just along for the ride.  Since potassium weighs more than sodium, you need to use more KOH than NaOH.

For what we are using caustic soda (or caustic potash) for the ratio probably won't make much difference initially.  However, 1 pound of NaOH will clean more pans than 1 pound of KOH.

[Corinne Wetzel]

I followed this thread with interest last year, but didn't need to order lye because I'd just laid in a huge supply of tech grade sodium hydroxide from AAA.

Now supplies are running low, and I need to place an order.

Has anyone found additional options in terms of where to order tech grade lye, or has anyone made additional discoveries about potassium versus sodium hydroxide?

If the info as discussed in these posts is still the same, I'll probably order some potassium hydroxide and some food grade sodium hydroxide, and see for myself.

I had such good luck, though, with the AAA tech grade sodium hydroxide, I would love to find another source for a similar product.

Please advise if you have any new info!

[Cheryl Watson]

I have just remixed all of my lye baths using Rooto.....

Now, if only I had the time to clean my iron....   :'( :'( :'(

AAA Chemical basically no longer carries lye, and the last shipment I got from them, I ordered Tech Grade, and they shipped me Food Grade... >:( >:( >:(

[Jeff Friend]

Corinne,

I don't think there is any new information to share.

Food grade v. technical grade - I have not seen any specifications that would lead me to believe that there is a difference between them that would matter to us. 

Potassium v. sodium hydroxide - at the same concentration, KOH may react with old seasoning a little faster than NaOH, but they do the same thing, so why not use what is most economical?

Is AAA Chemical still in business?  The web site is a bunch of dead links.