[Sca-cooks] Porridge, tobacco

[Sue Clemenger]

Apparently, one can purchase knitting needles made from this milk-plastic
stuff.  I'm told they're quite okay as knitting needles go, but that they
taste truly *horrible* if you put them in your mouth.
(Not as weird as it sounds....about like holding a couple of pins in your
mouth when sewing something.)
--Maire

----- Original Message -----
From: "Jeff Gedney" <gedney1 at iconn.net>
To: "Cooks within the SCA" <sca-cooks at ansteorra.org>
Sent: Thursday, May 18, 2006 8:23 AM
Subject: Re: [Sca-cooks] Porridge, tobacco


> >Hmmm. Don't oils oxidize into plastics?
>
> nah, that's polymerization, not oxidation.
> Oils may spontaneously polymerize to some extent, but
> usually they require a chemical agent or catalyst to
> do that.
> Mostly what you see when an oil gets "sticky" is the longer
> hydrocarbon chains that are less volatile, and therefore
> remain after the lighter components evaporate off.
>
> Hmmm... as far as True plastics go...
>
> IF you separates the Milk protein casein and added
> formaldehyde, you would create an early type of plastic.
> While both milk and formaldehyde are period, the combination
> in this way are not. This plastic was not discovered until
> the 1840's (in France).