Lye

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Buy lye from Bulk Apothecary.  We are one of the nation's largest manufacturers and suppliers of pure lye (sodium hydroxide).  Also known as Caustic Soda, Lye is a product that is used in the creation of soap, detergent, paper, textiles and drinking water. It is a chemical base and comes packaged as a white solid.  

 

Lye Supplier (Sodium Hydroxide) 

 

Our pure sodium hydroxide lye has countless uses and meets Food Codex Specifications.   Furthermore, we offer it for the absolute lowest prices online. If you find a better price on pure Sodium Hydroxide anywhere online, let us know and we will do our best to beat that price.  *** This item can only ship UPS Ground or LTL due to item being a Hazardous Material. ***Due to the hazardous nature of this product an adult is required to sign for the package when it is delivered. *** Important Note: Please keep in mind that by pressing the order button below you are agreeing to the fact that you are over 18 years of age and are using this LYE for Soap Making or another legal use. We keep full records of where we sell our sodium hydroxide and cooperate completely with local and federal authorities when approached. Please also note that the information below is for research purposes only and we highly recommend that no one uses lye based on the information below.  This product is very dangerous to work with and all proper precautions should be used before use.  KEEP FAR AWAY FROM CHILDREN.  LYE CAN CAUSE SEVERE CHEMICAL BURNS AND EVEN DEATH IF NOT HANDLED PROPERLY!

  

Lye – Uses and Benefits of Sodium Hydroxide

Having become an incredibly versatile and useful ingredient in everything from food preparation to drain cleaning, it’s no wonder that the world produced 60 million metric tons of sodium hydroxide in 2004. A brief overview of the many uses include:

Food – It can be used to wash or chemically peel fruits and vegetables. Furthermore, it is often used to soften foods like olives or baked goods.

Cleaning – In liquid form, it is used to de-clog drains, dissolve metals and strip paint off a surface. It can also be used to de-grease stainless steel and glass bake ware.

Hair – In liquid form, it is mixed with other ingredients to create a hair straightening substance (often referred to as a “relaxer”).

Tissue – It is often used to dissolve tissue, specifically to break down the tissue of dead animals in carcass removal.

Paper – It is a key ingredient in the creation of paper from wood pulp.

Soap – Typically for cold-process soap making, lye is essential. It can also be used in hot-process soap making when mixed with the appropriate fat and oils. Caustic soda (lye) creates a chemical reaction known as saponificiation. This process is what breaks down the oils and turns them into soap.

 

History of Lye

Ancient Egyptians and Babylonians used a form of lye (using ash) around 4,800 years ago and recorded it’s use on a clay tablet. For much of history, water was run through wood ash then mixed with animal fats in a primitive attempt at soap making. Lye wasn’t truly identified and understood until Sir Humphry Davy discovered it in 1807. At first, believing it was one of the basic elements; he later went on to discover sodium.

The term “lye” was an old English word meaning ‘wash stuff’. Original lye soap was very harsh and often left the users skin red after use. This was because too much lye was used in comparison to the amount of oils. Too little can cause the oils in the soap to go rancid and smell bad. When you find a good recipe for soap making, make sure you stick with it.

 

Soap Making

Fats and oils, by themselves, do not mix with water. Sodium hydroxide lye breaks up the triglyceride in fats and oils and turns the fatty acids into sodium salts. The salts reduce the surface tension in liquids and allow grease to be easily washed away with water. Try making a pure soap with no perfume, fragrances, dyes or additives that can irritate your skin. Using a pure soap with only the glycerin can cleanse and improve your skin condition – no matter what that condition is. Pure lye soap will sooth insect bites and actually repel insects with its residue. Try shaving your lye soap and using it as a laundry detergent, or rub a bar directly on a problem stain. Lye soap has been found to be as effective as commercial products on the market.

Usefully Destructive

Harnessing the power of lye can be very useful to the resourceful individual. The same properties that convert oil and fats into soap can be put to use in dissolving the grease and hair that slows down (or completely clogs a drain). Put a heaping tablespoon on a slow running drain and slowly poor in just enough water to dissolve. Remember to allow for adequate ventilation, let sit for 10 minutes, and then flush with hot water for a couple of minutes to clear the pipes.

Mix one (1) cup of lye, one (1) cup of cornstarch and two (2) gallons of water to make an effective paint stripper. Try some experimentation to give painted items a rustic or distressed look.

Make traditional soft pretzels by bathing them in one (1) quart of water with one (1) ounce of lye sodium hydroxide mixed in for thirty seconds. Your finished product will be a dark brown, soft and delicious. The finest bagels are similarly boiled in a lye solution making them soft and chewy. Many recipes attempt to substitute sodium hydroxide with baking soda, but reviewers agree that the ‘lye bath’ produces much finer results.

 

Dangers of Lye

Make sure you know what you are putting in, and on, your body. While commonly stocked in hardware stores as drain cleaner, it can also be mixed with other chemicals you don’t necessarily want in your food or soap. Don’t trust a product, intended only to clean drains, to make something you plan on putting in or on your body. Our product is 100% pure and you can be confident that you are using only the finest ingredients.

 

Disclaimer:

Sodium Hydroxide, or Lye, is very strong and caustic ingredient. It is something that should be handled with extreme care. We recommend having supervision and wearing appropriate protective (i.e. full arm gloves, eyewear, respirators, etc.) when using. This products needs to be kept Far away from children. Make sure you don’t have any allergies to the product and that you are using pure ingredients. Pregnant women should consult with a physician before handling.

 

This product cannot be expedited and must be shipped via ground in accordance with the Department of Transportation. Corrosives (sodium hydroxide, potassium hydroxide) are considered a Class VIII Hazard and can be shipped via ground only.  

 

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Sodium Hydroxide Storage Tanks

The different types of common tank materials are outlined below with relevant detail and comparisons concerning tank service life and estimated cost of tank system implementation. If considering an HDPE or XLPE tank option, you may request a quote for a sodium hydroxide tank that meets your requirements.

Sodium Hydroxide Polyethylene Tanks

High-density linear polyethylene (HDPE) and cross-linked polyethylene (XLPE) storage containers are perhaps the most cost effective variants that hold the potential for a 10-20 year service life. Both container types are capable of successfully storing NaOH. Recommendations are for storing caustic solutions in polyethylene storage tanks rated to 1.9 specific gravity and solution temperatures retained beneath 100°F. Schedule 80 PVC or CPVC fittings, EPDM gaskets, and stainless steel bolts are recommended sodium hydroxide storage tank component materials.

Sodium Hydroxide Polypropylene Tanks

Polypropylene tanks with polyurethane foam insulation and mastic coatings are approved for NaOH storage according to Grainger, Inc. that rates polypropylene with an “A” grade against all concentration strengths of the chemical. This claim is supported by Industrial Specialties Manufacturing that also gives polypropylene tanks an “A” grade rating at all concentration strengths at temperatures ranging from 68 to 212°F. Even though they can be more expensive than HDPE and XLPE, polypropylene tanks are supported as being more resistant to the corrosive effects of sodium hydroxide and potentially make good considerations for NaOH storage.

Double Wall HDPE & XLPE NaOH Tanks

The double-walled variants of HDPE and XLPE are more expensive than their single-walled counterparts, but the additional cost is made up for in the additional security of having a built-in secondary containment unit should a breach of the primary holding tank occur. A benefit of double-walled tanks is the execution of secondary containment in a more compact manner should space constraints be a concern. Another benefit of these tank types, should a release occur, is the ability for continued use until repairs can be performed, rather than immediately due to the chemical release from its containment. Double-walled tanks isolate the chemical in the situation of a spill with no threat to equipment, property, or personnel by providing a built in secondary containment system.

Carbon Steel Sodium Hydroxide Tanks

Carbon steel tanks can be an effective choice for bulk caustic storage. Carbon steel tanks are considered compatible with most traditional NaOH concentrations. The effectiveness of carbon steel tanks begins to lessen at elevated temperatures, varying some with NaOH strength. At 50% concentration, carbon steel tanks begin to experience elevated stress corrosion cracking at temperatures in excess of 120°F (49°C). The temperature this begins to occur decreases in a non-linear manner as concentration decreases, maximizing to near 180°F (82°C) for 1% NaOH solutions. When such elevated solution temperatures are expected, carbon steel tanks should be annealed to increase structural durability.

Carbon steel sodium hydroxide tanks can be lined with natural rubber as an extra measure against corrosion and are recommended when iron pickup by the NaOH solution is a concern. The rubber lining will be resistant to the corrosive effects of NaOH as long as it is natural rubber. With a resistant natural rubber lining, carbon steel tanks can be largely resistant to the corrosive effects of NaOH, making them good potential choices for sodium hydroxide containment.

Fiberglass Reinforced Plastic (FRP) Tanks

Sodium hydroxide solutions are not considered immediately compatible with fiberglass-reinforced plastic (FRP) tanks as caustic soda corrosively attacks the glass fibers that comprise the tank, which can lead to tank failure and containment breach. To store NaOH in FRP tanks, synthetic surface veils and effective corrosion barriers are required for successful storage. Selection of an FRP tank and appropriate construction materials should be readily discussed with the manufacturer to ensure a capable and safe storage scenario for bulk NaOH.

Titanium Caustic Soda Tanks

Titanium is a metal largely resistant to sodium hydroxide’s corrosive activities. Containers made of titanium hold the greatest cost and greatest service life capabilities up to and beyond 30 years. Due to the high cost of bulk titanium tanks, these storage containers are most commonly recommended and reserved for high-throughput situations where containment failure and manufacturing down-time cannot be a consideration.

Storage Tank Components

Storage tank components must be capable of withstanding the specific NaOH concentration to be stored. Elevated solution temperatures can contribute to further stress on the tank and components. PVC, CPVC, or 316SS fittings, 316SS bolts, and EPDM gaskets are generally recommended materials for bulk NaOH storage. Components comprised of nickel-based alloys are recommended for the most extreme elevated temperature scenarios. See the following chart defining industry-common material resistance to sodium hydroxide:

SODIUM HYDROXIDE MATERIAL RESISTANCE CHART MATERIAL NAOH 20% NAOH 50% 304 SS GOOD / MINOR GOOD / MINOR 316 SS GOOD / MINOR GOOD / MINOR ABS GOOD / MINOR EXCELLENT CPVC EXCELLENT EXCELLENT PVC EXCELLENT EXCELLENT XLPE EXCELLENT EXCELLENT HDPE EXCELLENT EXCELLENT LDPE NOT RECOMMENDED / SEVERE NOT RECOMMENDED / SEVERE POLYCARBONATE EXCELLENT NOT RECOMMENDED / SEVERE POLYPROPYLENE EXCELLENT EXCELLENT NYLON EXCELLENT EXCELLENT NEOPRENE GOOD / MINOR GOOD / MINOR PTFE EXCELLENT EXCELLENT PVDF (KYNAR) EXCELLENT EXCELLENT VITON FAIR / MODERATE NOT RECOMMENDED / SEVERE HASTELLOY-C GOOD / MINOR FAIR / MODERATE TYGON EXCELLENT EXCELLENT FLUOROCARBON (FKM) NOT RECOMMENDED / SEVERE NOT RECOMMENDED / SEVERE EPDM GOOD / MINOR GOOD / MINOR ALUMINUM NOT RECOMMENDED / SEVERE NOT RECOMMENDED / SEVERE BRASS GOOD / MINOR NOT RECOMMENDED / SEVERE CARBON STEEL* EXCELLENT EXCELLENT COPPER EXCELLENT GOOD / MINOR NATURAL RUBBER EXCELLENT EXCELLENT TITANIUM EXCELLENT EXCELLENT *CARBON STEEL IS CONSIDERED TO BE COMPATIBLE WITH NAOH CONCENTRATIONS ≤ 50% UP TO 120ᵒF WHEN CARBON STEEL WILL BEGIN TO EXPERIENCE ACCELERATED CORROSION AND STRESS CORROSION CRACKING, I.E. CAUSTIC EMBRITTLEMENT