Potassium Hydroxide "Lye" question

[tjh566]

I think I remember reading somewhere that this isn't used in the process to make HHO, so with the water level goes down you just add the water and no more lye. Is this correct?

[cheapfuel]

tjh566 Wrote:I think I remember reading somewhere that this isn't used in the process to make HHO, so with the water level goes down you just add the water and no more lye. Is this correct?

[cheapfuel]

To start with, isn't lye sodium hydroxide, not potassium hydroxide. I am thinking of using lye myself as I can't find potassium hydroxide. To answer your question, why don't you just add water to start with and see if your amperage changes. If it decreases then add a little lye to a small amount of water and mix well. Drain some of your electrolyte out and replace with your mixed solution. Check amperage again. Next time you will know which way to go. I am new at this game well.

[tjh566]

they call it lye here, maybe they are mistaken, I am unsure of the correct name and you can buy it here, thats where i got mine, ships fast too

https://www.saltcitysoapworks.com/store/...how_detail

[aquaman]

tjh566 Wrote:they call it lye here, maybe they are mistaken, I am unsure of the correct name and you can buy it here, thats where i got mine, ships fast too

https://www.saltcitysoapworks.com/store/...how_detail

That is strange, according to your link, it says potassium hydroxide is lye. I have a bottle of pure lye, and it says it is sodium hydroxide.....? Anyway, potassium hydroxide (KOH) is the good stuff, get it in flake form if you can. I am using a 50/50 mixture of both, in the form of a drain cleaner called "grease and hair" form my local menards hardware, and it effects the amperage immediately.

[CheezWiz]

KOH is Potash, not lye. It can be referred to as Potash Lye. But that is only in non professional circles where any basic / caustic substance is a lye. Only Sodium Hydroxide is actually referred to simply as Lye. Others always have the preceding modifier.

In the case of this discussion and as far as that link, the two can be interchanged in soap-making. But that does not make KOH simply Lye, it is Potash Lye. You certainly do not want to get caught filling your units with chamber lye!

It is one of the three numbers you see on a fertilizer bag..

MSDS:
http://www.jtbaker.com/msds/englishhtml/P5887.htm
http://www.certified-lye.com/MSDS-Lye.pdf

[jksav7]

That is correct.

tjh566 Wrote:I think I remember reading somewhere that this isn't used in the process to make HHO, so with the water level goes down you just add the water and no more lye. Is this correct?

[stevekos7]

Either can be used. Potash Lye (KOH) is said to be a bit better and stays a bit cleaner but both are much better than anything else. Both are equally dangerous if mishandled.

[timc4444]

I'm still playing with my Smack cell. I am using Roebics Crystal Drain Opener
100% Lye aka Sodium Hydroxide. I asked on a couple of other forums about using lye instead of Potassium Hydroxide. While it works, everyone claims it is unstable. I added a it and it took some time to get it right. I had to keep diluting it because it is highly concentrated. We are talking a literal pinch at a time to make adjustments of a few amps once it is in range. I used a water bottle cap and used a proportion of the cap as a measurement.

Lowe's has the Roebic product. The bottle has a yellow label. In small words it says 100% Lye