[Sca-cooks] RE: Sca-cooks digest, Vol 1 #1580 - 17 msgs
Philip & Susan Troy
troy at asan.com
Thu Mar 21 08:08:21 PST 2002
Also sprach Brian Songy:
>Perhaps this may be helpful. At http://cator.hsc.edu/~kmd/caveman/ is a web
>site for a chemistry class in which the instructor has students reproduce
>certain key technologies. One of these projects is the production of potash
>(at http://cator.hsc.edu/~kmd/caveman/projects/potash/index.html ). Potash
>is potassium carbonate. However, part of the process consists of
>concentrating the potash from a mixture of potash and soda ash (sodium
>carbonate), that is obtained by running water through wood ashes. Perhaps,
>concentrated soda ash could also be obtained could be obtained by a
>analogous process.
>
>Soda ash (sodium carbonate) is listed at the bottom of the page as also
>being called washing soda.
>
>The web site also mentions the chemistry of baking soda (sodium
>bicarbonate), but does not talk on the subject
>
>
>Is it reasonable that soda ash/washing soda/sodium carbonate is the "soda"
>referred in the chinese sources mention above? ..the Roman's?
Could be. The Graeco-Roman world had knowledge of soap (although
chiefly for medicinal purposes); they probably did drip potash.
Adamantius
More information about the Sca-cooks
mailing list