sodium hydroxide?

Question

can someone plss tell me the development of sodium hydroxide? Who found it out and wht r the raw materials?

Answer 1

Sodium hydroxide is not soap!!!! Do not put it into direct contact with your skin. It will make soap from the fats in your skin, in the process giving you a chemical burn.

A mixture of sodium and potassium hydroxide was available historically by heating ashes in water. For the record, people used to take that and react it with grease or oil to make soap.

I don't have any more information, but I just wanted to make sure you didn't get the horribly wrong idea from the post above and do something dangerous.

Answer 2

Don't know much about the history but it is created as a result of sodium reacting ferociously with water and producing Hydrogen gas and producing NaOH. This creates flame as H gas is burned.

Answer 3

It is commonly known as SOAP. There is a great deal of information on the three sites that I am including:

http://www2.kumc.edu/itc/staff/rknight/Soap.htm

http://shakahara.com/soap3.html

http://jchemed.chem.wisc.edu/jcesoft/cca/cca0/sampmovs.htm

The first recorded accounts of soap were on Sumerian clay tablets dating back to 2500 B.C. At that time in history soap was used in the washing of wool. One Sumerian tablet, describes soap made from water, alkali, and cassia oil. Historical evidence shows that Egyptians bathed regularly and that they combined animal and vegetable oils with alkaline salts to create a soaplike substance for washing. It is well known that Cleopatra, who captivated the leaders of the Roman world, attributed her beauty to her baths in mare's milk. Ancient Rome gave soap it's familiar name.
I hope that this answers your question suitibly. Have a great holiday!
Eds