naturaly occuring & useful chemicals / substances

[Guest guest]

> I am intrigued to find out where some basic chemical compounds come from.

> For instance lye for soapmaking also known as caustic soda in the UK. Hare

> Krsna Mataji just now mentioned that she heard it can be made by pouring

> boiling water through wood or bamboo ashes. Sometime back Nistula Prabhu

> from Bangladesh mentioned that he made bleach by a similar process.

 

If you pour water trough wood ashes you will receive a potassium lay not

caustic soda lay. The ashes contain "potash" - "Any of several compounds

containing potassium, especially soluble compounds such as potassium oxide,

potassium chloride, and various potassium sulfates, used chiefly in

fertilizers. [sing. of obsolete pot ashes, translated from obsolete Dutch

potaschen (from the fact that this substance was originally obtained by

leaching wood ashes and evaporating the leach in a pot)" - from AHD.

 

My grandmother still used to wash with potash when she was young. It is was

very comon since anybode had ash from the stove. It is als an excellent

fertliser. Just make sure you dont burn newspapers with toxic printing die

since this will contermainate the ash.

 

> Can anyone enlighten me further on this?

 

> Are there any other kinds of substances that can be got from simple

> sources? For instance wax. Wax can come from bee hives. But what about

> parrafin wax? Does that come from mineeral oil, or can it be got from

> vegetable oil? What is the process?

 

Paraffin wax is a byproduct of petrol refraction. It is not possible to

produce it with simple means. It is also not a very desirable product from

the health point of view.

 

> Another one that comes to mind is plaster of paris.

 

Plaster usually comes from mines.

 

> Finaly does anyone know how creams can be made from oils, which can be

> used for moisturising purposes. i.e to treat dry cracked skin. What and

> how do you combine oils with other substances to make creams? Oils by

> themselves are often not readily absorbable by the skin, and subsequently

> they attract dirt and dust, and can stain.

 

Jojoba oil (a liquid wax ester) is not sticky and readily absorbed by the

skin without greasy or sticky properties.

 

The simplest way to combine oil and water is by applying oil on the skin and

then splash some water onto the skin and rub it in. Jojoba oil will

partially emulsify in this way even without emulsifiers.

 

A sticky and protective film is created by Caritee or Shea Butter (the

pressed fat of the Caritee tree, also known as Shea tree, which is common in

Africa) Caritee butter is used by some African tribes as the main cooking

fat.

 

An excellent, although quite sticky skin salve is made by steering water

into lanolin. The lanolin should be free from pesticides. If you take the

fresh wool of a sheep and wash it with hot water you will find some of the

lanolin swimming on top. Lanolin absorbers lots of water and makes a very

protective ointment for rough and troubled skin.

 

> Theres another one. How do you make vaseline, where does it come from?

 

Vaseline is a paraffin wax with a lower melting point and smoother

consistency. It is a petroleum product. Its chemical synonym is

"petrolatum". Vaseline is a registered trademark for petrolatum in the same

way as Aspirin is a trade name for ASA.

 

Ys Ud