The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1870-04-08
HINTS ON SOAP MAKING.

The soaps are divided into two great
classes-the hard and soft. The former
being produced by the action of soda
upon the fats; the latter by the action
of potash. Hard soaps absorb very
large amount of water and retain it in
solid form; they are what are known as
chemical hydrates. The latter retain
much moisture, but the water is not
chemically combined; it exists only in
in the form of mixture. In hard soap
all the soda is combined with the fat,
forming a neutral compound; in soft
soap there is ordinarily some uneomhin-
ed potash, which is only dissolved i'll the
liquid. This explains why the soft soap
is more caustic, why it is liable to injure
the hand while using it. The consis-
tence of soap is also greatly modified by
kind of fatty substance that's employ
ed. Tallow and suet, particularly that
obtained from sheep, form, either with
soda or potash, soap of greater consis-
tency than do lard or the soft fat OBJ
tanned from bones. The former contains
much stearine and margarine; the latter
consists largely of oleine. The manner
in which each of them unite with soda
and potash is very nearly the same.
The great difficulty in making soap,
particularly soft soap, lies in not having
the I've caustic. By caustic I've is meant
one that is free from carbonic acid. Both
potash and soda possess the remarkable
property of appropriating this acid from
the air and of being converted thereby
into carbonates. When in this form
they are untitled for combining with fats
to make soap.
Before they can be used for this pur-
pose, they must be rendered caustic,
which is done by making the carbonic
acid unite with something else. The
potash that is obtained from teaching
ashes, always exists in the form of a car
Donate. Doubtless it was caustic in the
wood, but during the process of COM
bustion, or in the interval between the
burning of the wood and the teaching of
the ashes, carbonic acid united with it
and DESTROYED its causticity. The acid
may be removed by the use of lime in
either of two ways. A quantity offresh
burned quick lime, say layer six inches
in thickness, may be placed i'll the leach
ing barrel just above 'sthe nest" and be-
fore the ashes are put in. AS the I've
comes down, the carbonic acid will
leave the potash and unite with the lime.
Another way is to leach the ashes with
out the lime; put the I've in kettle and
boil it several hours, along with guam
tity of lime. Caustic I've viii give off
no bubbles of gas when an acid such as
tartaric acid, or strong vinegar, is pour
ed on little of it taken in a cup.
Caustic potash of sufficient purity, can
be obtained in sealed tin cans, and it is
greatly preferable for making soft soap.
Indeed, when fuel and labor are Ofmuch
value it is questionable whether there is
much economy in teaching ashes for
making soap since the unleached ashes
are very valuable for dissolving bones
to be used as manure, or for direct APP
plication to the land.
1t is more difficult to obtain caustic
soda for making hard soap. 1t is i'm
ported only in packages of six hundred
pounds capacity; and as it Immediately
absorbs water and carbonic acid, when
it is exposed to the air, it is almost i'm
possible to sell it by retail. The larger
soap makers buy it in bulk, and can use
a whole package before it loses its caus-
ITCHY. An article put up in pound pack
ages of iron, and known in the market
as concentrated lye," is nearly pure So
da, and is very useful for hard soap on
a small scale. One pound of it is suffi-
cient to saponify about five pounds of
grease, and will make some ten pounds
of hard soap.-FyQf. Welch, an Prairie
E,0Ss3np7