ALKALI
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Written by tom
|
|
Tuesday, 04 March 2008 |
|
A caustic hydroxide characterized by its ability to neutralize acids and form soluble soaps with fatty acids.
Fundamentally, alkalies are inorganic alcohols, with the monovalent hydroxyl group -OH in the molecule, but in the alkalies this group is in combination with a metal or an ammonia group; and alkalies have none of the characteristics of alcohols. All alkalies are basic and have a pH value from "7 to 14. They neutralize acids to form a salt and water. The common alkalies are sodium hydroxide and potassium hydroxide, which are used in making soaps, soluble oils, and cutting compounds, in cleaning solutions, and for etching aluminim. All of the alkalies have a brackish taste and a soapy feel; most of them corrode animal and vegetable tissues.
|
Material detail
