Potash

dodsonish said:
My chemical supplier told me they call potasium hydroxide baby caustic. Its basically a weaker chemical than sodium hydroxide. He said if you mix the two you are just diluting the sodium hydroxide.

Maybe its the heat from mixing the chemicals together that makes it work a little better. Or possibly a change in the consistency, or thickness, of the chemicals.

Wheres a chemist when you need one?:confused:
Click to expand...

I know this is an old thread but calling potash "baby caustic" is bass ackwards to me. Just like the chicken grease tallow which hardens up on those sidewalks above the sodium hydroxide barely touches. With the potash I could just about wash off those walks with just downstreaming the mix using a 4050 nozzle and no pressure. I not kidding with the potash you see the grease start to run and strip off as soon as you start downstreaming it.
 
The cheapest ive been able to find potash dry is 110 shipped to my door for 50 lbs. Other companies wont ship to a residential address even with a proper business license. Caustic soda is 48 bucks local pick up for 50lb. hmmm ill have to look harder for the potash....
 
valley pressure wash said:
The cheapest ive been able to find potash dry is 110 shipped to my door for 50 lbs. Other companies wont ship to a residential address even with a proper business license. Caustic soda is 48 bucks local pick up for 50lb. hmmm ill have to look harder for the potash....
Click to expand...

See if there is a Univar near you.
 
JDhomeservices said:
Univar is ridiculous. I called them and they said it would be $300 for a 55 gallon drum of SH.

Sent from my DROID RAZR using Tapatalk 2
Click to expand...

Josh, ask the univar sales rep if there is a local chemical company that they sell to - you could buy through them as they will likely get a better price due to buying in bulk.
 
Steven Button said:
Josh, ask the univar sales rep if there is a local chemical company that they sell to - you could buy through them as they will likely get a better price due to buying in bulk.
Click to expand...

Plus we are working on a UAMCC benifit, they are members
 
Univar went up to $190 per 55 gallon drum of SH earlier this year so I stopped purchasing from them locally.

I need to call them to see how much it is with the UAMCC discount, hope it is a good discount.

There should also be other vendors within a few hours of where you live, sometimes you have to drive to get the chemicals unfortunately.
 
Pat Norman said:
I know this is an old thread but calling potash "baby caustic" is bass ackwards to me. Just like the chicken grease tallow which hardens up on those sidewalks above the sodium hydroxide barely touches. With the potash I could just about wash off those walks with just downstreaming the mix using a 4050 nozzle and no pressure. I not kidding with the potash you see the grease start to run and strip off as soon as you start downstreaming it.
Click to expand...

Potash/proteins SH/vegetable we follow this and it has yet to let us down. So yea chicken grease would react to Potash far better then SH.
 
I went crazy the other day at this Indian food restaurant we clean and mixed 3cups SH to 1 gallon of water with maybe a cup or so of Gain Ultra. It tore through grease i would normally scrape. I can only imagine mixing it as strong as Douglas Hicks to where he cant dissolve anymore.. lol ouch...I bet thats fun on galvanized hoods.. haha
 
Hey guys, so i am going to make myself a better foamer / sprayer than I already have,

In terms of the tough grease mix you guys have, what ratios would you use when you are using SH and PH together?

I currently have only used SH, with some ok results but I really think that the PH would make a bigger difference.

The sound of the indian restaurant a few posts back sound like the mix i could do with should a real shitty job come up.
 
Maybe a stupid question here, but what would someone say about potash degreasing of a truck frame, or a weak mix on the engine?
 
Potassium Hydroxide works a little better on protein based greases. Animal fats etc.
Sodium Hydroxide works best on petroleum based greases. Automotive. It does work on animal based grease.

Sodium is cheaper. Easier to get and comes in pellets which in comparison to flaked potassium creates much less dust.
Both mix well with Dawn dish detergent. Mixing both alkaline products is like more of the same.
I use sodium.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top