Author Topic: Sodium Carbonate CAN go bad  (Read 983 times)

Offline emanwols

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Sodium Carbonate CAN go bad
« on: October 17, 2020, 02:52:15 PM »
I use a" food grade " 200gm tub of sod carb to make my EL.
Lately every batch i made was clear but had opalescence.
Changed and cleaned everything but still got opalescence.
That is until i bought a new jar of food grade sod carb.
Now i am back to super clear Colloidal Silver that i have always got and back to making 5litre batches at 97-98mA
I had used the same jar for around 2.5 years.
I think my problem can also happen to you if you make your own sod carb from old bicarb of soda

Offline kephra

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Re: Sodium Carbonate CAN go bad
« Reply #1 on: October 17, 2020, 03:31:47 PM »
Going bad means that it changed into something else. It cannot change into something else unless you added something else to it.  Sodium carbonate is very very stable, but your supply could become contaminated.
There is the unknown and the unknowable.  It's a wise man who knows the difference.

Offline Gene

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Re: Sodium Carbonate CAN go bad
« Reply #2 on: October 17, 2020, 07:51:06 PM »
I made a small container of sodium carbonate from baking soda probably 5 years ago and have used it a couple times to make a small bottle of electrolyte and my Colloidal Silver has been as clear now as it was the day I made the sodium carbonate and my first batch of electrolyte.

As Kephra suggest, food grade could have contaminants.  USP grade which is what baking soda is  (at least Arm and Hammer brand), by virtue of the rating must be VERY pure (thats pharmaceutical/drug grade).

Perhaps try making some of your own carbonate from bicarb and see what happens.

Offline SaltyCornflakes

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Re: Sodium Carbonate CAN go bad
« Reply #3 on: October 17, 2020, 08:47:15 PM »
I would be interested mostly if the sodium carbonate solution (with water) goes bad or is able to attract any contaminants or microbes. I assume this would be difficult because pH is so high. Anyone use a single bottle of solution over a period of years?

With the powder / grains I too would not be worried if you store it well. I've been using the same bucket of washing soda for 5 years now and see no issues.

Offline Gene

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Re: Sodium Carbonate CAN go bad
« Reply #4 on: October 18, 2020, 03:17:58 AM »
Yes I have used a single bottle of sodium carbonate solution for several years with nary an issue.

If anything is going bad it may well be due to contaminants in the food grade sodium carbonate but as you say, at that high a PH, what could live in that?

Offline emanwols

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Re: Sodium Carbonate CAN go bad
« Reply #5 on: October 19, 2020, 07:39:57 AM »
Thanks all
As you say it probably got contaminated somehow