[Sca-cooks] RE: Sca-cooks digest, Vol 1 #1580 - 17 msgs

[Philip & Susan Troy]

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