2-Part Alk-baking soda cakes on the bottom

[pangea]

Why does the baking/washing soda end up on the bottom of my container after a few weeks. Will this impact the strength? I would image so. What can I do to avoid this?

Anyone else having this happen?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Did you make it to the exact concentration in my recipe?
Is the room especially cold?
How much material are we talking about?
Was it ever all in solution?

 

[dannynguyen3573]

I do have the same problem...I did exactly in your recipe.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Baked or unbaked?

Did it ever all go into solution in the first place? It can be hard to get it to dissolve. Warming helps.

 

[dannynguyen3573]

I baked it. I put all soda into container and add water to make 1 gallone even then statured it about 15 minute.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

How did you stir it?

 

[pangea]

Warm RO/DI water in blender, 2 1/4 cups/gl. Unbaked baking soda and washing soda mixed.

Room is 70 degrees and it was all in solution to start.

To dose I'm using a baster and some times a few drips of tank water make there way into Alk container. Would this trigger precipitation?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Tank water into the alk container will cause some precipitation, yes.

 

[dannynguyen3573]

Randy, I stir it by stick of wood..

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

It may take longer to dissolve unless you warm it.

 

[dannynguyen3573]

I did warm the water and bake the soda. Thanks

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

It can initially be hard to dissolve it all. Is that what happened, or it came back out of solution adfter initially dissolving?

 

[dannynguyen3573]

it came back out of solution adfter initially dissolving?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Really? That's odd. How much? A little residue is probably just impurities such as calcium carbonate. But larger amounts may indicate a potential problem, such as incomplete baking.