Talk:Alum

message: I believe this article needs to be cleaned up, as there are no categories.
Seconded.  This article needs headings so that one can find the relevant information quickly without reading the whole thing.
:Added some headers - modify as needed. Still needs a rewrite of the archaic 1911 stuff. Vsmith 15:36, 23 September 2005 (UTC)
replies: text:  Actually, it's probably because alum is used to make shrunken heads. It's used in leather making and makes it shrink. Shrunken heads were topical due to a probably fake story about an explorer who was following African tribesmen. But something an everyday person in the 40's would know is that when you add alum to pickle brine, the pickles shrink. --King Starscream (talk) 17:30, 13 November 2019 (UTC)
thread_title:  Needs to be cleaned up? 

message: I remember hearing once that if you mixed alum in with a dog's food, it would keep them from barking.  Seeing as I know absolutely nothing about this kind of stuff, I have to assume that it does so either by
*muting its vocal chords, or
*killing the dog
What's the truth behind this homespun remedy?  TKarrde 20:13, 15 January 2006 (UTC)
replies: text: I'd say because it caused dementia =p  (see above) 24.123.198.38 15:16, 15 February 2006 (UTC)
thread_title:  Other uses? 

message: I have a piece of alum cyrstal that my grandmother always keep in her medicine cabinet for canker sores on the tongue or mouth.  It really works my just rubbing it on the sore.  The next day it will be gone or almost gone.  Just repeat one more time and it should be gone in hours.  My piece of cyrstal is almost gone.  I want to know where I can buy another piece.  She died in 1975 and I have protected this piece since then.65.29.86.116 07:22, 28 February 2006 (UTC)
thread_title:  heals canker sores on the tongue 

message: Why are some of the formulae 'doubled-up' (A2SO4·B2(SO4)3·24H2O, Na2SO4·Al2(SO4)3·24H2O) and some not (KAl(SO4)2.12H2O, NH4Al(SO4)2·12H2O)? Are the double ones a single molecule? - or two molecules in some sort of close association? Do the single ones have a different structure? - or just have a common factor of 2 taken out? Please excuse my extreme ignorance of chemistry. --catslash (talk) 12:02, 22 June 2008 (UTC)
replies: text: Good question.  The short answer is that there are no molecules for this (or most inorganic materials) - these species are almost always polymers.  For such materials, chemists use formulas to both describe stoichiometry and highlight parentage (structural families).--Smokefoot (talk) 12:53, 22 June 2008 (UTC)
replies: text: Nice.:
*Experiment A:  The dissolution of KAl(SO4)2.12H2O will give a solution with the ratio 1"K+":2 SO42-:1"Al3+" and some water provided from the alumn.  To cloud the situation somewhat, Al3+ really exists as [Al(H2O)6]3+ (and more complex things, depending on pH of the soln).  Being 3+, the aluminium cations adhere tightly to oxygen in water (that is the reason that alums are hydrated).  You'd think that they'd prefer to bind sulfate, but it's water that wins that competition.  
*Experiment B: "If I mix solutions of thes sulphates in the correct proportions (assuming Al2(SO4)3 is soluble) and crystallize, will the alum crystals have the Al and K ions arranged in some regular pattern"  Yes again, usually (crystallization is freaky and slightly unpredictable).  Crystals always feature regular patterns (they are megamolecules, in a sense).
Of course, these are only one chemist's views, others might see matters differently, but probably not too differently.--Smokefoot (talk) 13:57, 22 June 2008 (UTC)
thread_title: Why are some formulae doubled-up?

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thread_title: [[WP:FOOD|WikiProject Food and drink]] Tagging

message: This needs more refs, then it could be a GA or FA article eventually. Sticky Parkin 21:01, 8 November 2008 (UTC)
thread_title: needs more refs

message: Having solubility in parts per 100 is very annoying when mass per volume (for example g/mL) are more useful in chemistry. Could whomever wrote the table include solubility in terms of g/mL or at least a citation of the reference used for the parts per hundred measurements?
Also, is it right to have non-integer values for something like parts per hundred?--160.253.128.7 (talk) 18:43, 21 November 2008 (UTC)
thread_title: Solubility Table Annoying Units

message: Alumths rutcgds   —Preceding unsigned comment added by 59.95.114.86 (talk) 10:48, 1 February 2009 (UTC)
thread_title:  alum 

message: I've added a section on the use of Alum in comedy. Trivial or not this is or was part of the common view of Alum and it's effects.Saxophobia (talk) 16:09, 21 August 2009 (UTC)
thread_title:  Alum in Comedy 

message: Alum الشبه in Arabian world have another use where we used to eliminate body odor  —Preceding unsigned comment added by Mewoone (talk • contribs) 11:42, 27 May 2010 (UTC)
thread_title:  Alum in other culture  

message: There needs to be a section re alum being a possible poison in large doses.  There are internet reports that ingesting 1 ounce has resulted in death--although I can't find an MDS that lists the LD50.
---- Irv  —Preceding unsigned comment added by 66.21.141.254 (talk) 13:46, 6 September 2010 (UTC)
replies: text: This data sheet also says that there are reports of 30g (pretty near 1 ounce) being a lethal dose, but doesn't give citations. Lavateraguy (talk) 17:19, 6 September 2010 (UTC)
thread_title:  Alum toxicity 

message: The sources of alunite given in this article (upper Bavaria, Bohemia, Belgium, and Scotland) seem to be quite different from those given in the alunite article (Tuscany, Hungary, Australia, United States). Or are the "alum schists" referred to here in fact different from alunite? (in which case perhaps they should have their own subsection) I'm sorry I do not have anywhere near the necessary expertise to fix this myself. Justlettersandnumbers (talk) 12:38, 3 August 2011 (UTC)
thread_title:  Sources of alunite 

message: Are there any realiable sources that could verfiy this?
Paucabot (talk) 07:21, 31 December 2011 (UTC)
thread_title:  Deodorant? 

message: I have just created a new subheading to include the fact that alum and its production, social, ecological and economic effects is the subject of a well-researched historical novel. It was previously listed under Uses. My edit was reverted after a second item was added to that section, concerning a reference to alum in a book by Lennie Bruce. It has now been reverted twice (in neither case restored by me). I accept that listing this information under Uses was inappropriate, but I think it's information of general interest and that it's now listed in an appropriate section. If there is no consensus for that point of view, I will remove it myself. Rather than get into an edit war, perhaps the point could be discussed here? Robocon1 (talk) 09:11, 26 December 2014 (UTC)
replies: text: Seems the problem is that it is only referenced to the book itself and that is a WP:primary source. As it is a novel published in 2013, the reference to it appears promotional. A secondary source discussing the book's content/scholarship would be required. Vsmith (talk) 13:35, 26 December 2014 (UTC)

text: Additionally the publisher listed (CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform) is a problem. Removed again. Vsmith (talk) 13:44, 26 December 2014 (UTC)
thread_title:  Cultural/literary references 

message: This page refers to the same compond as Potassium alum. It would be less confusing to merge both.
:This page covers both the specific compound potassium alum and the broader class of alums. Rather than merge the two pages a more appropriate action would be to add a hatnote at the top, and transfer the stuff specific to potassium alum. Lavateraguy (talk) 09:11, 2 February 2015 (UTC)
replies: text: Good idea, go ahead and merge these two articles. --Smokefoot (talk) 14:17, 2 February 2015 (UTC)
thread_title:  Duplicate with Potassium alum page? 

message: There really ought to be some mention/explanation/history of "alum" as it appears in numerous cartoons, a remarkable substance that somehow shrinks the head and voice.  
It is probably the only way most people have ever heard of alum. 
--23.119.204.117 (talk) 04:45, 15 July 2016 (UTC)
replies: text: This is completely new to me. Can you supply some references to reliable sources? --Slashme (talk) 07:43, 15 July 2016 (UTC)

text: Agreed!!! I was well into adulthood before I encountered alum outside of Warner Bros cartoons. Since then I've seen it in a few pickling recipes, and some play dough recipes, but my first though will always be cartoon characters' heads shrinking because of alum.... PurpleChez (talk) 16:58, 16 November 2016 (UTC)
thread_title:  The Alum gag 

message: Can someone please tell me?  — Preceding unsigned comment added by 74.221.154.43 (talk) 18:33, 30 October 2016 (UTC)
thread_title:  What are the products of the chemical reaction between alum and steel? 

message: There seems to be confusion between the notions of astringent and coagulant. I find particularly questionable this sentence in the Uses / Cosmetic section: "Alum in block form (usually potassium alum) can be used as a blood coagulant." Its reference is a 1914 personal diary which, as interesting as it may be, is not in the least scientific. I propose deleting it. Any objections?  137.175.150.95 (talk) 22:45, 7 June 2017 (UTC)
replies: text: (The silence is deafening.) I deleted the objectionable sentence. 137.175.150.95 (talk) 00:35, 13 June 2017 (UTC)
thread_title:  Coagulant 

message: I was just watching James Townsends YouTube videos. That's how I got to looking at this page. It turns out alum wasn't added to bread tochange the color, since it doesn't actually do so. On the video they demonstrated this empirically. This needs to be updated on the page EdwinAmi (talk) 04:03, 4 August 2017 (UTC)
thread_title:  not for coloring bread 

message: To add to this article: the effects of alum (ingestion) on health, as it is sometimes a food ingredient. 173.88.246.138 (talk) 10:14, 28 July 2020 (UTC)
thread_title: To add to article