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We invite you to familiarize yourself with our video guide presenting the application and use of products offered by distripark.com. We are the first to introduce sodium hydroxide! We invite you to familiarize yourself with the properties and rules of handling caustic soda.
Other uses of
caustic soda discussed in detail can be found in subsequent entries on our blog
Caustic soda , also known as sodium hydroxide and caustic soda , is a chemical agent widely used in various industries. Due to its strong destructive effect, it is willingly used by beekeepers as a product for cleaning and disinfecting hives or beekeeping equipment. Its use is one of the methods of preventing the development of infectious diseases in bees, next to the administration of antibiotics.
Before using sodium hydroxide, care should be taken to thoroughly clean the infected surface - usually this is done by removing dirt (remains of wax or putty) from the walls of the hive. Then, apply a 2-3% water solution of caustic soda to the disinfected surface with a brush or swab. Smaller elements such as frames, feeders, etc. can be immersed in the solution. After the disinfection process with soda lye is completed, the walls of the hive should be additionally rinsed with water - the product has a tendency to clump and settle on the cleaned surfaces - and then ensure that the structure is thoroughly dried. Caution - this is a highly corrosive product, therefore it is necessary to use protective gloves and glasses.
Proper disinfection of the hen house is a guarantee of the success of a given breeding. The process of disinfection of the hen house should start already at the time of sale of the chickens, with the mechanical removal of dirt, preceded by the removal of manure. Then, wash the inside of the house with water containing a cleaning agent, and dispose of the water used for this purpose off-farm to prevent the growth of bacteria.
One of the most effective agents for disinfecting the chicken coop is sodium hypochlorite. To achieve the highest effectiveness, a 3% hypochlorite solution should be used - it is estimated that the amount of 300 l of such a solution should be sufficient for a building with an area of 1750 to 2000 square meters. Not only the chicken coops themselves should be disinfected, but also their external walls or bypass, as well as access roads to them - a 3% solution of caustic soda will be perfect. A preventive supplement to the disinfection of the henhouse itself should be disinfection mats placed at the entrances to the henhouse and farm entrances as well as in key places of internal roads. Especially at the entrance and exit to the feed warehouse and at the place of unloading the exported manure to eliminate the possibility of secondary infections. Soaking the mats with a 3% solution of caustic soda for preventive purposes is sufficient. Note: due to evaporation in the summer months, the solution may need to be refilled several times a week. After heavy rainfall, the disinfectant solution in the mats may also require replenishment of the active agent.
If you are looking for an effective way to clean furniture from the remains of old paint, buying sodium hydroxide will be the perfect solution. Thanks to its corrosive properties, this product (also known as soda lye and caustic soda) will be perfect for this task - by using a solution of caustic soda you avoid the risk of surface damage that occurs during mechanical cleaning of furniture (scratching paint residues from furniture). It is one of the most popular cleaning agents in the industry.
To effectively clean the surface of furniture, it is necessary to prepare a 10% solution - that is, about 25 grams of caustic soda are dissolved in a glass of water. Due to the strong corrosive properties, when using sodium hydroxide, care should be taken to wear gloves and goggles. Thanks to its washing and corrosive properties, sodium hydroxide allows for effective cleaning of the surface from paint residues. In addition, sodium hydroxide is much cheaper than dedicated paint removers.
How to disinfect brewing equipment? Is sodium hypochlorite (NaOCL) or sodium hydroxide (NaOH) better? The first substance, widely used, for example, in bleaches, will work at most in the case of washing fermentation containers. Despite the fact that it has bactericidal properties (more information in the next paragraph), it leaves an exceptionally strong smell. On the other hand, soda lye , present even in pipe cleaning products, is an odorless substance that not only disinfects the surface, but also causes grease saponification, which significantly speeds up the cleaning of the equipment.
How to use soda lye? Here is a short guide:
1. Prepare a solution with a concentration of approx. 3-4% (water: soda - 1 l: 30 g ratio). For cleaning and disinfection of fermenters, as a rule, about 3-4 liters of solution are enough.
2. Throw into the fermenter all the elements through which the beer flows (tubes, hoses, etc.)
3. Leave the solution for about 30 minutes on the surface to be cleaned.
4. Rinse the substance thoroughly (at least 3 times - 2 x with warm water, 1 x with cold water)
5. Deactivate the solution with citric acid (or other disinfectants CIO2, Piro, etc.).
Precautions - ordinary rubber gloves + safety glasses
Notes - soda lye is reusable
What about sodium hypochlorite? It is the perfect choice for cleaning kegs where beer is fermented. Its density is as much as 1200-1300 kg/m3 at 20°C. Depending on the concentration, it may have the following properties:
1.0% concentration - kills fungi, bacteria and viruses
Concentration 1.5% - the above + mycobacterium tuberculosis
The application time on the cleaned surface is 15 minutes.
Precautions - protective gloves + protective clothing + protective glasses
Notes - use the solution only once!
Industrial wastewater, especially from chemical plants that conduct electrolytic extraction of chlorine from brines or produce cellulose, is characterized by an extremely low pH of 1.0-3.0. Such a low pH of industrial wastewater may also be caused by the discharge of large amounts of used galvanizing solutions or other industrial waste with an acid reaction.
A part of most industrial wastewater treatment processes is their alkalization in order to neutralize the strongly acid reaction of the working liquid.
Soda lye is a cheap and, at the same time, widely available agent that enables quick and effective alkalization of a mixture containing a large amount of sludge. It is an aqueous solution of sodium hydroxide. Most often available in a concentration of approx. 50%, although there are also technologies using a 30% aqueous solution of sodium hydroxide. The advantages of using soda lye to neutralize the working liquid in sewage treatment plants are faster growth of flocks and better sedimentation of sludge after adding coagulating agents. In this way, we easily obtain a clear and odorless liquid that can be further processed. In wastewater treatment technologies from cellulose production using sulphite methods, alkalizing the working liquid is necessary for the proper course of the flocculent growth and sedimentation process.
Other advantages of Soda Lye are its durability, ease of transport and dosing. Soda lye remains usable for two years from its production. In practice, it is a stable simple chemical compound, not subject to self-degradation or spontaneous decomposition.
Due to its liquid form, its transport and dosing is easy and does not pose any major problems. The solution does not require additional treatments and remains usable in a wide range of temperatures.
All the above factors make Soda Lye - an aqueous solution of sodium hydroxide - an invaluable ally in the process of alkalization of industrial wastewater.
Industrial breeding as well as extensive home breeding of rabbits is gaining popularity in our country. However, rabbits, like no other type of farm animal, are exposed to diseases and parasitic invasions. For economic reasons, the treatment of sick animals is not profitable. Sick pieces should be slaughtered as soon as possible, and the carcass and offal should be disposed of. That is why prevention is so important in rabbit breeding.
How to prevent diseases in rabbit breeding?
Basic preventive measures include disinfection of cages, equipment, rooms and communication routes in the breeding farm. The most important thing seems to be to isolate the culture from pathogens that can penetrate from the outside. For this purpose, all entrances and exits from individual breeding rooms should be routinely secured with disinfectant baths or mats. Each entry and exit from a given breeding room should be routinely preceded by disinfection of footwear by going through a bathtub or a disinfecting mat. In the case of industrial farming, also vehicles entering the halls and breeding rooms should each time pass through a disinfection mat or tub. All entrances and entrances to the breeding area as well as the feed warehouse and manure storage should be secured in this way. In this way, we will avoid spreading pathogens around the farm.
Disinfection mat.
The easiest way to prepare a disinfecting mat is sawdust soaked in a generous 3% solution of caustic soda . Such a mat retains its disinfecting properties for a long time, and the soda neutralizes very slowly. Of course, if such a mat has a large surface and is located outside the building, the active factor must be regularly replenished. Not only routinely, but also after each rainfall and during particularly intense heat.
Disinfection tub.
A disinfection bath is nothing more than a standing large vessel with a disinfectant solution. We can use a solution of lime hypochlorite, commonly known as chlorinated lime. For routine disinfection, a 5% water solution is sufficient. Chlorinated lime can be successfully replaced with copper sulphate, in its case a 1% solution is enough. Sodium percarbonate in 1% solution can also be used.
ATTENTION! All of the listed substances are dangerous. Appropriate safety footwear should be worn when using disinfecting mats or bathtubs, and the used solution should be disposed of. It is unacceptable to dispose of used disinfectant solutions in any other way than handing them over to specialized disposal companies.
Disinfection of communication routes and rooms.
Routine prophylaxis and prevention of diseases on a rabbit farm should be regular cleaning of breeding rooms with a 3% solution of sodium hypochlorite. Approx. 300 l of the working liquid prepared in this way should be enough to disinfect a breeding room with an area of 1750 to 2000 square meters. External walls of buildings and passageways should also be disinfected periodically and routinely. A 3% water solution of caustic soda will work best here. Disinfection of breeding facilities outside of the routine cycle should always be carried out when moving rabbits from one cage to another and always 8 to 5 days before the planned kittening of females.
Disinfection of breeding cages.
We always disinfect breeding cages when moving rabbits from one cage to another and always 8 to 5 days before the planned lambing of females. We clean and scrape the cages from the remains of litter and droppings and wash them thoroughly with a hot (about 80 degrees Celsius) 2% solution of baking soda (sodium bicarbonate). This method, although effective, can be recommended only in the case of extensive backyard farms with a small population. On a large scale, the procedure of washing the cages with a 10% solution of lime hypochlorite (chlorinated lime) seems to be more ergonomic.
Manure and litter disinfection.
Disinfection in the case of contagious diseases in rabbits should also cover manure and removed bedding outside the breeding rooms and cages. Of course, such waste can be disposed of in a specialized external company or incinerated. However, if for various reasons we do not want or cannot decide on any of the above solutions, disinfection remains on the farm. For manure disinfection, we use a mixture of a 2.5% solution of copper sulphate and sulfuric acid. The mixture is prepared in a one-to-one ratio. We should use 5 to 10 liters of working mix per cubic meter of manure. Apply the mixture to the manure in the form of a spray, mixing it thoroughly so that the whole mass obtains a uniform consistency. It may be necessary to moisten the mass beforehand. Especially if it was previously stored and dried.
In sum. It must not be forgotten that disinfection on a breeding farm is not a few separate procedures, but a comprehensive disinfection of the entire breeding farm. This means that the disinfection of breeding cages must be correlated with the disinfection of buildings and rooms and the replacement of the working medium in bathtubs and/or disinfection mats. Only a comprehensive approach to disinfection will bring the intended results. Omitting one of the disinfection treatments will cause the pathogen to move from the dirty surface to the disinfected one, and there, deprived of competition, it will develop and multiply more effectively than in the absence of disinfection.
Routine cyclical disinfection is a must in modern rabbit farming, whether you have just a few cages for your own use or a commercial broiler farm. We leave the choice of method to the breeder depending on the size of the population, available chemicals and own preferences.
African Swine Fever - ASF for short - is an extremely dangerous and difficult to control viral disease of domestic and wild pigs. ASF cannot be treated. Once diagnosed and confirmed, affected animals should be immediately bloodless euthanized and then disposed of. African swine fever is also highly contagious. The virus can enter the animal's body through food, respiratory tract, infected wounds and during mating. Cases of transmission of ASF by ticks have also been confirmed. The natural reservoir of the disease are European wild boars, African wild pigs, warthogs and ticks.
African swine fever symptoms.
ASF is characterized by a 4-8 day incubation period - a period of asymptomatic multiplication of the virus in the organisms of infected animals. The maximum incubation period can be 21 days. The first and only symptom of the disease process is a fever of 41-42 degrees Celsius. It can be misleading to see sick animals maintaining their appetite and undisturbed feed intake during this time. Some animals may show signs of excitement and above normal arousal. After 3-4 days of fever, further symptoms of ASF appear: cyanosis of the skin and ears, petechiae on the sides and abdomen, shortness of breath, foamy discharge from the nose, often with an admixture of blood, vomiting, paresis of the hind limbs and the entire croup, rarely generalized neurological symptoms. Within a few days of the onset of full symptoms of the disease, 80-100% of animals die. Unfortunately, animals that survive infection do not acquire immunity due to the lack of induction of virus-neutralizing antibodies. It remains in the body of the convalescent and turns him into a virus carrier that effectively infects all individuals exposed to it.
Fighting African swine fever.
Unfortunately, the disease is incurable and there is no known vaccine. The only form of combating the disease is preventive bloodless slaughter and disposal of all animals that may remain a reservoir of the virus and disinfection of farms where cases of African swine fever have been found.
African swine fever prevention.
Disinfection.
The basic preventive measures in the case of ASF include routine care for employee hygiene and disinfection of rooms, buildings, communication routes as well as equipment and work clothes. The most effective barrier for ASF, but also for all other pathogens, is the routine disinfection of vehicle wheels and footwear of all people and machines entering and moving around the farm. The most effective method is the permanent installation of baths with a disinfectant agent at the entrance to the breeding area and at each entrance and exit from each breeding building in such a way that each entry and exit involves the need to pass through the disinfectant agent. Similarly, all communication routes for vehicles should have permanently installed disinfecting mats soaked in an active working medium. Such mats should be placed at all entrances and exits from the breeding area, before each entry and exit from the breeding buildings, in front of the feed warehouse and manure storage. Placing disinfection stations in all these places will not only protect against the introduction of pathogens from the outside, but also prevent the spread of possible infections inside the kennel.
Disinfection mat.
The easiest way to prepare a disinfecting mat for wheeled vehicles is sawdust of deciduous trees, abundantly soaked in a 3% aqueous solution of caustic soda. We spread the sawdust on a hardened, non-absorbent surface and protect it from leaching the active agent, e.g. by precipitation, and protect it from spreading sawdust by vehicle wheels. A disinfecting mat prepared in this way retains its properties for a long time. However, it requires regular routine replenishing of the active agent as it becomes deactivated. Mats located outside during precipitation require frequent inspections, as they cause dilution of the solution and neutralize the caustic soda. Hot weather is also a signal for increased care for disinfecting mats, because water evaporates quickly and a dry mat does not fulfill its role. The sawdust should be regularly stirred, and special attention should be paid to the formation of the so-called ruts, i.e. the sawdust spreading to the sides and the formation of strips free of them. Depending on the intensity of use, the mat should be replaced periodically due to mechanical impurities. The maximum period of use of one mat should be one month, and in the case of intensive vehicle traffic in a given place, one week.
Disinfection tub.
A disinfection bath for foot traffic is nothing more than a resistant vessel with a disinfectant solution. Depending on the preferences and indications of the veterinarian taking care of the farm, it can be a 5% aqueous solution of lime hypochlorite, otherwise known as chlorinated lime, a 1% aqueous solution of copper sulphate or a 1% solution of sodium percarbonate. The disinfection tub will fulfill its task only when its construction makes it impossible to bypass it and ensures disinfection of the footwear of both legs. An additional advantage of this solution is the elimination of outsiders staying in the breeding area. The lack of appropriate footwear effectively makes it impossible to enter and leave the premises of the plant.
ATTENTION! All of the listed substances are dangerous. Appropriate safety footwear should be worn when using disinfecting mats or bathtubs, and the used solution should be disposed of. It is unacceptable to dispose of used disinfectant solutions in any other way than handing them over to specialized disposal companies.
Disinfection of communication routes and buildings.
Passageways.
Both internal and external communication routes, due to the specific use of these surfaces, are an ideal environment for the multiplication and transmission of microorganisms and pathogens. For these reasons, they should be subjected to routine disinfection procedures. The first stage of disinfection of the communication route should be its mechanical washing with a detergent and the physical removal of any impurities in the form of sand, mud, manure or feed residues. Then we proceed to the proper disinfection consisting in washing the surface with a 3% water solution of caustic soda .
Breeding rooms and pens.
Breeding rooms should be routinely disinfected before animals are brought into the room and always five to three days before farrowing. The disinfection process should be preceded by the thorough removal of litter, manure, feed remains and other impurities. Then wash the surface with a detergent. Only then can we start washing the surface with a 3% aqueous solution of sodium hypochlorite. For a building with an area of 1750-2000 m2, no less than 300 liters of working liquid should be enough. After washing the surface with a water solution of sodium hypochlorite, leave it on the cleaned surface for at least 10 to 30 minutes.
In sum. It should be remembered that preventive actions in a breeding farm focused on the industrial production of live pigs are not one-off, uncoordinated actions, but routine, continuous and comprehensive actions covering the entire area used for production activities. It makes no sense to implement only a fragment of the indicated recommendations in isolation from the whole and comprehensiveness of actions. Disinfecting mats alone, for example, will not do anything if the shoes of people entering are not also disinfected. The lack of an active agent in one of the disinfecting mats or tubs is enough for all the rest of the activities to turn out to be ineffective, because the pathogen will enter the breeding area through this one gap in the system. Only a comprehensive systemic approach to preventive measures, coordinating the exchange of the active agent in all disinfecting mats and tubs with the disinfection of rooms and passageways as well as the breeding cycle, can provide a responsible breeder with certainty of animal welfare in the era of a real threat of African swine fever.
Yes. Soap can be made by yourself and contrary to appearances, it is not that difficult. Dangerous… yes, maybe a bit, but not difficult. The hardest part is probably waiting for the soap to mature. Until all the lye reacts with fats and the pH is low enough that it won't hurt us. It usually takes about 4-8 weeks depending on the ingredients used. By making the soap ourselves, we are sure that the semi-finished products used are just what we want and there are no surprises that can be found in soaps from store shelves. The big advantage of homemade soaps is that they can be adapted to your skin type. Knowing the properties of individual fats and additives, we can create a soap that will perfectly suit our needs. It will moisturize and nourish dry skin, mattify oily skin, heal problematic skin and even help get rid of cellulite. And in addition, it can smell what we like. Provided that we find an essential oil or aroma corresponding to this smell.
What is important and what will be useful when making soap at home?
When making soap at home, we must protect ourselves properly, because working with a sodium hydroxide solution can be quite ... painful if we do not prepare ourselves properly. Corrosive resistant gloves are essential. Safety glasses will also come in handy. Some old thick apron that will take the drops of lye and keep them from penetrating. Caustic soda in solution is a corrosive substance and it is also worth protecting the environment in which we will work with it. The room should have very good ventilation. It is best to open the windows and mix the fat and lye at the window. It is safest to use glass, plastic or stainless steel dishes for mixing soap, because these materials are resistant to the substances with which we will work and to high temperatures. Speaking of temperature, a kitchen or non-contact thermometer will come in handy, because we combine oils and hydroxide when both mixtures reach a temperature of about 40 degrees. The blender will greatly speed up the process of combining the water and oil phases, during which the mass becomes thick. We cannot forget about the forms. It can be one larger one, e.g. a milk carton or an ice cream box, or several small moulds, e.g. silicone molds for cupcakes. And finally, a little vinegar with water, which we will wash everything that has been in contact with the lye. The vinegar will neutralize the lye and the dishes will be safe.
Recipe for homemade soap:
- 150 g of refined coconut oil
- 150 g of olive oil
- 100 g of castor oil
- 100 g of cocoa butter
- 190 g of distilled water
- 69g NaOH
The first thing we must do before starting work should be to protect ourselves and our workplace. We put on an apron, gloves and goggles and start weighing. All ingredients must be carefully measured so that all the sodium hydroxide reacts, so that in the end, the soap is not caustic, but moisturizing and washing. Pour the water into a container, e.g. a jar, and slowly pour in the soda, stirring all the time until it dissolves completely. This reaction is strongly exothermic - the solution heats up strongly when the substances are mixed - so it is worth cooling the water beforehand, or even freezing it, which will lower the temperature of the reaction. The order cannot be different. Always soda in the water. The resulting lye is left to cool down. In a water bath or microwave, dissolve the oils and cool to a temperature of about 40 degrees. When both liquids reach it, slowly pour the lye into the fat and mix. First, with a spoon or spatula, and when all the lye is in the oils, we can use a blender. Otherwise, we can get sourdough, because the thickening of the mass with manual mixing takes a long time. After the mass reaches the consistency of a pudding, we can pour it into a mold or moulds, and wash the dishes in a solution of water and vinegar to neutralize the lye. Protect molds with solidifying soap against heat loss and leave in a quiet, warm place, inaccessible to children, so that the mass goes through the gel phase and solidifies enough to be cut into cubes. Usually, it takes about 24 hours. After cutting, you need to put the soap aside to dry. The point is that the excess water that is still in the soap evaporates and that the sodium hydroxide reacts with the fats completely. 4-8 weeks is usually enough. The longer they age, the more creamy the consistency of the foam. To be sure that the soap is safe for the skin, we can check the pH with litmus papers. When it reaches a value of about 7-9, you can safely use it without fear that it will hurt us.
Or maybe homemade peeling soap?
Just before pouring into molds, you can mix some ground apricot kernels, ground coffee, Himalayan salt or even poppy seeds into the mass, and we will get an excellent peeling soap that will help us get rid of the "orange peel".
If we have a few cubes left, we can share with family and friends. This is a great idea for a gift. Nothing stands in the way of interviewing the people you want to give as a gift and making soap suitable for their skin. Cast in interesting forms and nicely packed, they will surely bring a smile to your face, and the fact that they were made by yourself will certainly not be without significance.
However, remember not to let children and pets enter the room while working on the soap. When working with hazardous substances, it doesn't take much for a tragedy to happen. Let's not let that happen. Let's ask someone from the household to take care of our little children during this time. Common sense, compliance with health and safety rules and the ability to focus only on soap making will ensure our safety and success.
We invite you to shop at distripark.com!
*This article is for informational purposes only. The presented description, in particular the use of the products, is exemplary and constitutes non-binding information about the characteristics and possibilities of their use/application. In any case, before using the product, consult a specialist whether the specific use is safe and justified. We do not bear any responsibility for the use of the proposed solutions, even in very similar situations.
