Baking Soda Vs NaOH: What Should I Use?!?!
I have gotten more questions from folks about this and decided to do a vid to show why I use what I use. Its also to help out other new people getting into this HHO stuff.
Its a short video but its worth watching if your just getting started and have questions about electrolytes.
Link to wikipedia on sodium bicarbonate...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sodium_bicarbonate
Link to wikipedia sodium hydroxide...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sodium_hydroxide
The short and sweet is... baking soda gradually decomposes as it heats up, more than NaOH. Lets compare baking soda and NaOH...
1. Baking soda = Decomposes around 50 °C (122 degree Fahrenheit)
2. NaOH = Decomposes around 318°C (604.4 degree Fahrenheit)
Also note NaOH also has a high boiling point of 1390°C (2534 degree Fahrenheit) Ref: Wikipedia.
So while both do work, the NaOH lasts longer, IOW less cell maintenance = good. I have also noticed that baking soda leaves more residue (brown tinted water) than when I use NaOH. Again it comes down to less cell maintenance = good. So for me I am going to use NaOH over baking soda, but its good to know that HHO cells are very flexible and can use both.
As for the other electrolytes, I havent tried them yet but here is some of what I've found out about KOH; Here is the wikipedia link for it...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Potassium_hydroxide
KOH is good too but it is exothermic; IOW it also helps produce HHO gas but it is accompanied by the release of additional heat too. We dont want our cell to over heat & boil (and this is not the case with NaOH or baking soda). Just another reason I am going to stick with NaOH.
Anyway its something to think, test and consider.
Peace,
AH
p.s. Have a happy 4th of July!
p.p.s. btw it was "The Smack" (& others) that recommended to use NaOH over baking soda, and as you can see, it checks out.
Duration : 0:6:53
I am really into alternative things. I thought this video was about a body cleanse! Cells and stuff? Ha ha! Really.
But now I think it is about cars. Which sounds even better.
Would someone please tell me what in the world you are all talking about ?
Potassium hydroxide also works well and I wonder if a hybrid electrolyte of potassium hydroxide and sodium hydroxide would work. Also another interesting electrolyte is a magnetic field generate by electromagnets. Any questions please send me a message and I will get back to you ASAP. Good Luck!
you’re using too much.
USESODA!
USESODA!
Yes I am still using it and so far, its great. Draino has other stuff in it – lots of impurities. Try roebic, its 100% naoh.
You can use whatever you want, but personally I have found naoh works better than baking soda – dont need as much and hold up better over longer tests imho. The cool thing is a booster is pretty flexible and can us baking soda, naoh, koh, etc. Now that you have a cell, do some testing on your own & find out.
Congrats on ur booster – I hope you post some vids & tests.
Use VINEGAR Gentlemen
actually when i used sodium hydroxide with all stainless in my tank it produced excessive amounts of residue,almost 2 inches in the bottom of my tank in one day
how well does this work? you still using it steve? i bought some powder draino stuff thats blue and has sodium hydroxide in it..but i dont know if thats what i want lol. it works but doesnt seem to work as well as when i stick baking soda in it. thanks a tons steve for the videos..i really enjoy them..i finally completed my first smack cell today!!
Check out my fan controller that solves the overheating on your HHO cell. Eliminategas(dotcom
volts & amps make them hot (BTW electolyte u use also draws more amps from the batt & can cause heat problems too).
It could also be that you need to have some neutral plates between your positive & negative plates – that helps spread out the current/voltage.
The rule of thumb Uonly need @ 2 volts per plate; any more turns into heat = bad.
As for ur cap try using some Teflon plumbing tape &/or use some rubber sealant @ the rim; not glue cause u want to remove it for cell maintenance.
Question.What causes the plates to get very hot. They melted the top at bolt conection. I checked wire conections and they were ok. Also my cap leaks. How can I seal it?
your welcome
I was wondering about the different catalysts. Thanks for sharing.
Use soda. 8D
“ALUMINUM = explosive”
Yea we do not want that kind of explosive action.
lets get it straight:
(1) Table Salt (NaCL) Sodium Chloride:
is corrosive and produces byproduct: CHLORINE GAS. Don’t use it.
(2) Lye, Caustic Soda (NaOH) Sodium Hydroxide
is excellent. Will not generate any byproducts if used with pure water/ good stainless steel only.
It won’t get used up either, just add more water.
Drawbacks: corrosive to other metals, steel, copper, ALUMINUM = explosive and massive heat generation with poisonous byproducts.
& hazardous – severe burns.
now thats something to consider too; thanks for the posting.
Baking soda as an electrolyte creates a small amount of carbon dioxide, if you attempt to make a minitorch it can cool your flame off to much, so I dont know if that would affect the combustion on a vehicle.
potassium hydroxide is the preferred electrolyte, distilled water will not conduct a current, but tap water will get somewhere around 20 amps, anyway distilled is going to keep your system cleaner vs tap.
I usually fill my system with distilled about 90 percent of the way, turn it on and start adding a aqueous solution of potassium hydroxide, a little at a time, and check the amps. Once the amps arewhere I like it, I top it off with distilled.
What ever you use I have found that if the PH levels is somewhere between 6.4 and 7.0 that is the optimum electrolyte condition. Different combinations of electrolytes will achieve those numbers. You can even use ammonia and vinegar with distilled water or rain water. Color of your electrolyte can tell you the PH of your electrolyte I try to achieve a blue tint, just adding to the info pool. Nice video, I like the commentary, its different than just showing bubble production.
Also just wondering if aluminium is any good as as electrodes or does it decay worse than stainless?
I heard Stanley Meyers first cell with tubes within tubes as aluminium.
I have tried salt and aluminium, and get this white powder like substance form at both ends. Though my configuration is different to most, I have the inner tubes alternative, and im trying paper in between as the electrolyte. Capacitors can use paper. Also then my outer rods are spaced to also interact with the next rod + – +
I saw on a video, which was withdrawn, I think it was Sodium Hydroxide, produces a toxic bi-product, from the stainless steel. The toxic water mix became the same thing from the movie Erin Brockovich (Julia Roberts) Cadmium and something, which causes major illnesses in the environment.
So if we are to use these things, and be green, we need to know more.
Salt water would be nice.
I did hear that pure water doesnt conduct, that is why we need to “dirty it up” with an additive. Salt water does.
well the rain & tap water we have here is not that good, so I spend 78 cents for a gallon of distilled water.
Still its good to know we can use tap or rain water too; might have to clean the cell more often (at least I would), but the goal is to use less gas & stick it to the big oil and auto guys.
thanks jerstarr for the chemistry lesson.
The real decision would come from testing all three under the same conditions and finding out which one produces/is the most efficient.