The days when I fished in Daming

Chapter 42 Soap
Fat + Sodium Hydroxide----> Sodium Higher Fatty Acid + Glycerin.

Sodium hydroxide is soda ash, and soap and glycerin can be obtained after saponification.

"Kao Gong Ji" records that in order to make the silk soft and white, the ancients wet the silk with plant ash water, put in the ash from the burning of shells (the ancients called it "phantom"), and soak it in water.This is because plant ash water and shell ash can react to produce a strong base - potassium hydroxide.

The Han people already knew to use natural stone soda to wash clothes.The Jinren added starch and spices to the stone alkali and sold it in the form of ingots.At the end of the Ming Dynasty, Beijing opened shops specializing in the sale of artificial fragrance bases. Among them, "Hexianglou" and "Hua Hanchong" were still selling boxed rose fragrance bases in peach and gourd shapes until the beginning of liberation.

Some seaweed can be used to make soda ash by the local method. If it is not possible, yn also has a natural soda lake.

In ancient China, dilute sulfuric acid was called green vitriol oil. From 650 to 683 A.D. (During the reign of Emperor Gaozong of the Tang Dynasty), Gu Gangzi, an alchemist, recorded in Volume [-] of his "Huangdi Jiuding Shendan Jing Jue" "the method of refining stone gallbladder to extract essence" and dry distilled stone gallbladder (bile vitriol) to obtain sulfuric acid.

The method is not very difficult. Dilute sulfuric acid can be purified by heating, and nitric acid can be obtained by heating and dry distillation with saltpeter, but the temperature needs to be high and the seal is better.

However, it can only be produced on a small scale and does not have the conditions for mass production.

Soap can also be supplied in a small range. After all, many ordinary people can't afford oil, but the price must be carefully considered. The cost is high, and it can be sold as a luxury item, which adds a lot of income.

The nitroglycerin produced on a small scale is enough to treat diseases, and making gunpowder is not in the scope of Zheng Xiong's consideration now.

After sorting out my thoughts, I told everyone in the pharmacy that saltpeter ice can be used to cool down the ward in summer.

The warehouse in the backyard was occupied by someone, and Zheng Xiong hurriedly took Ergou directly to the glass factory.

When I think of soap, my scalp feels itchy. No matter how I take care of my hair every day, it seems that it can’t be cleaned. It’s a bit oily and can’t be cut, unless you become a monk.

When they came to the glass factory, Zheng Xiong ordered two people to come out.

"Both of you go and buy me a pot, some lard, and some lime soda. Get some money from the glass factory. Go and come back quickly."

"Yes, my lord."

Seeing that Zheng Xiong was more eager, the two dared not neglect, went to pay the money, and set off.

"You two build me a stove, I want to use it."

Zheng Xiong casually ordered two more people, and they quickly got to work after receiving the order.

After giving the order, Zheng Xiong couldn't be in a hurry for a while, so Zheng Xiong walked around the glass factory, and the leader inspected it. Except for those who were busy firing glass, all the employees of the glass factory followed Zheng Xiong, ready to answer Zheng Xiong's questioning.

In the corner, there is a pile of burnt glass. If you look carefully, there are still some off-white colors, which cannot meet Zheng Xiong's standard.

Zheng Xiong wasn't interested either, but there were some jars made of glass that aroused Zheng Xiong's interest.

Pick up one at random, it looks like a vase, the light transmittance is not high, with some purple, and a hint of off-white, if the off-white color does not affect the overall appearance, Zheng Xiong's vase made of glass can sell for at least a hundred pieces, and now it is greatly discounted, and it can be sold for a dozen pieces.

"This vase is not bad, how did you guys come up with it?"

"My lord, this vase is the excess glass solution fired in the boiler. We have a few old employees from the Liuli Factory here. Seeing that it would be a waste to leave it like this, they blown these glass bottles casually."

There is no person in charge of the glass factory, and the person who spoke out is a very prestigious old man in the glass factory. He used to work in Liulichang, and his skills are among the best among this group of people.

"That's right. It's much better than those pensioners in the pharmacy. If you know how to take the initiative, who made these, stand up and let me see."

"My lord, we did it."

There are three people in the team, all of them are older, three or 40 years old, a bit old, but if technology is not talented, it will be more popular as it gets older, for no other reason, just four words.

Only familiar with hands.

Seeing a few people, Zheng Xiong nodded his head, he seemed to be relatively honest and honest people, and his own subjective initiative can still be cultivated.

"A few of you are paid an extra month's salary this month, but you have to blow a few glass bottles for me every day, and sell them to test the water."

When they heard that they could get an extra month's salary, several people were very happy, and quickly agreed, and the crowd around them also showed envious expressions.At the same time, there were also a few who looked annoyed, because they knew this skill, but it was a pity that they went fishing by themselves.

After promising a salary, Zheng Xiong looked at the old man and said to him.

"What's your name, if you are asked to take care of the glass factory, can you do it well?"

"Return to your lord, this subordinate is called Wang Zheng. If your lord trusts your subordinate, you can give it a try."

"Then it's you. I will officially appoint you as the director of the glass factory. I will hand over the affairs of the glass factory to you. Except for the appointment and dismissal of your personnel and the signing of the purchase and sale of goods that need to be reported to me, you can decide everything else."

"In addition, don't rush to be happy when you get double salary in the future. Whether you can continue to work depends on your ability. If you can't manage this glass factory well, I will replace it."

Fishing, who wouldn't know, anyway, it's not their own industry, so just toss about it casually.As long as you can develop in the direction you want, everyone is the same, and the feeling of being a hands-off shopkeeper is quite comfortable.

"In the past two days, you can rent a shop in the inner city. You can sell the glass blown here. Although there are some flaws, this glass bottle that is integrated into one body is much more beautiful than the small objects polished by crystal. Each one is priced at ten pennies and put in the shop to try the water."

"By the way, it's better to add more raw materials, get more glass every day, and blow it into a round cup. I'm useful."

"My lord, my subordinates will remember."

Zheng Xiong was a little bit unsatisfied, this kind of star-studded, scolding Fang Qiu feeling is really good, no wonder so many people like power.

However, the things Zheng Xiong ordered to buy and sell were all in place at this time, and the stove had already been built and covered with mud.

Let everyone go to work, Zheng Xiong came to the stove, and a few errands stayed behind to be a helper.

Ignite the stove, wash the pot, put lard in it, put the lye made of lime into it, and stir it with a wooden stick, and the pungent smell will come up when you scratch it. Fortunately, the stove is set outside, otherwise there may be problems.

As the temperature rises, Zheng Xiong slowly adds alkaline water at a ratio of one to three.

I didn’t prepare a large amount of firing, but I just experimented to see the effect first. After adding the alkaline water, I slowly stirred and added some water to it, and boiled it for several hours. From noon to night, the upper layer gradually solidified and separated from the glycerin in the lower layer.

Just scoop it out and put it in a water glass, wait for it to solidify and form, and the soap will become.

Find a jar for the remaining glycerin, put it in a jar, and seal it with wax.

After disbanding the people who had been busy all day, Zheng Xiong ran home with soap.

(End of this chapter)