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Lye

physical science Maturity 5-7 Next article →

{

"text": "Lye is a common name for several different alkaline solutions. These solutions are often called soda lye or potash lye. Soda lye is a solution made of sodium hydroxide. Potash lye is a solution made of potassium hydroxide. These substances are important because they can change the chemical properties of many materials. They are used in everything from making soap to preparing food. They are also used in heavy industrial processes.

Lejia de ceniza
Lejia de ceniza

\n\nHistorically, people produced lye through a natural process called leaching. They would soak wood ashes in water to create a liquid. This liquid was rich in potassium carbonate. To make the liquid more alkaline, people added slaked lime. This addition turned the substance into potassium hydroxide, also known as caustic potash. The very name \"lye\" comes from an ancient root meaning \"to wash.\" This shows how long humans have used these chemicals for cleaning.

Lejia de ceniza
Lejia de ceniza

\n\nLye is used in many ways to prepare food. It acts as a curing agent for many items. For example, it is used to cure olives and cocoa to make them less bitter. It is also used to make bagels, pretzels, and lye rolls. In many Asian cultures, lye helps create specific textures. It is used to make chewy noodles in Hong Kong and ramen in Japan. It is also used for Cantonese moon cakes and rice dumplings called zongzi. In the Philippines, it is used for rice cakes like kutsinta. In Assam, people use a lye called khar made from banana stems and skins.

Preparing for Christmas 1950 (JOKAMT2Kot06-4)
Preparing for Christmas 1950 (JOKAMT2Kot06-4)

\n\nSoapmaking is one of the most common uses for lye. Makers use either sodium hydroxide or potassium hydroxide to create soap. These two chemicals are not interchangeable. They require different proportions and produce different results. Potassium hydroxide makes soaps that are softer and dissolve more easily in water. In the \"hot process\" method, lye is added to water first. After cooling for a few minutes, the lye water is added to oils and butters. The mixture is then cooked for one to two hours, often in a slow cooker, before being placed in a mold.\n\nLye is also used in the cosmetics industry, specifically for hair care. Lye relaxers are used to straighten hair by breaking chemical bonds. These relaxers break about one-third of the chemical bonds in a hair strand. This causes the hair to swell, and heating the hair then straightens the strands. This practice has been used by people of African descent since the nineteenth century. In the 1950s, the Johnson Products Company began making industrial relaxers. They marketed products like Ultra Wave for men and Ultra Sheen for women. By the 1960s, this company represented 80% of the chemical relaxer market. [IMAGE:File:HK TKO \u0113 \u0173 \u0113 \u0113 \u0113 \u0113 \u0113 \u0113 \u0113 \u0113 \u0113 \u0113 \u0113 \u0113 \u0113 \u0113 \u0113 \u0113 \u0113 \u0113 \u0113 \u0113 \u0113 \u0113 \u0113 \u0113 \u0113 \u0113 \u0113 \u0113 \u0113 \u0113 \u0113 \u0113 \u0113 \u0113 \u0113 \u0113 \u0113 \u0113 \u0113 \u0113 \u0113 \u0113 \u0113 \u0113 \u0113 \u0113 \u0113 \u0113 \u0113 \u0113 \u0113 \u0113 \u0113 \u0113 \u0113 \u0113 \u0113 \u0113 \u0113 \u0113 \u0113 \u0113 \u0113 \u0113 \u0113 \u0113 \u0113 \u0113 \u0113 \u0113 \u0113 \u0113 \u0113 \u0113 \u0113 \u0113 \u0113 \u0113 \u0113 \u0113 \u0113 \u0113 \u0113 \u0113 \u0113 \u0113 \u0113 \u0113 \u0113 \u0113 \u0113 \u0113 \u0113 \u0113 \u0113 \u0113 \u0113 \u0113 \u0113 \u0113 \u0113 \u0113 \u0113 \u0113 \u0113 \u0113 \u0113 \u0113 \u0113 \u0113 \u0113 \u0113 \u0113 \u0113 \u0113 \u0113 \u0113 \u0113 \u0113 \u0113 \u0113 \u0113 \u0113 \u0113 \u0113 \u0113 \u0113 \u0113 \u0113 \u0113 \u0113 \u0113 \u0113 \u0113 \u0113 \u0113 \u0113 \u0113 \u0113 \u0113 \u0113 \u0113 \u0113 \u0113 \u0113 \u0113 \u0113 \u0113 \u0113 \u0113 \u0113 \u0113 \u0113 \u0113 \u0113 \u0113 \u0113 \u0113 \u0113 \u0113 \u0113 \u0113 \u0113 \u0113 \u0113 \u0113 \u0113 \u0113 \u0113 \u0113 \u0113 \u0113 \u0113 \u0113 \u0113 \u0113 \u0113 \u0113 \u0113 \u0113 \u0113 \u0113 \u0113 \u0113 \u0113 \u0113 \u0113 \u0113 \u0113 \u0113 \u0113 \u0113 \u0113 \u0113 \u0113 \u0113 \u0113 \u0113 \u0113 \u0113 \u0113 \u0113 \u0113 \u0113 \u0113 \u0113 \u0113 \u0113 \u0113 \u0113 \u0113 \u0113 \u0113 \u0113 \u0113 \u0113 \u0113 \u0113 \u0113 \u0113 \u0113 \u0113 \u0113 \u0113 \u0113 \u0113 \u0113 \u0113 \u0113 \u0113 \u0113 \u0113 \u0113 \u0113 \u

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HK TKO 將軍澳廣場 Tseung Kwan O Plaza mall...
Preparing for Christmas 1950 (JOKAMT2Kot06-4).tif
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