Applied Chemistry

I have been experimenting with making the traditional Indian yoghurt dahi based on this recipe. However, I've been unable to source fresh milk locally and have been using a homogenised UHT brand sourced from Poland which nonetheless has a fairly standard composition of 3.5% fat, 4.7% sugar, and 3.2% protein. By trial and error, I've had to modify the preparation methodology somewhat to obtain satisfactory results. As both the chemistry (denatured proteins etc) and process are fundamentally different, I'm strapped for the appropriate terminology and chemistry of what I'm making here. Helpful suggestions and observations welcome. Method: bring 1 litre to the boil then simme…

I've been fermenting all sorts of vegetables recently to reduce spoilage waste in our hot, humid climate with a highly erratic power grid. No issues with the rapid fermenters like cabbage and tomatoes, but the slower ones, like carrots, peppers, radishes etc are becoming susceptible to Kahm yeast. Putting together the full sterilisation/oxygen exclusion kit out here is logistically challenged. I've not come across anyone doing this, but it occurred to me that floating a 1 cm layer of vegetable oil on top of the brew might be a fair substitute for airlocks etc and keep it sufficiently anaerobic underneath while allowing the CO2 to escape. It appears to work a treat, but I…

Good day. I've been trying to make a good electrolysis kit for various experiments but I have a terrible yield. I used two lead electrodes (also tried graphite rods but they wear out fast) each about 1 cm in diameter submerged 7cm under the water fairly close to eachother, connected to a 12v 10a DC power supply in a glass jar. I've tested it on salt but found my setup only splits 0.5g per hour (ran it for a few hours), pointless for harvesting decent amounts of metal, etc. I seem to have gotten similar amounts with both types of electrode. What could I be doing wrong? Do I need bigger electrodes? I've seen claims I should be able to split several grams per hour, but one o…

Hi all. As titled; a fiberglass shower walls need removal of silicone leftovers that held a sliding door. The thick of it has been scraped without marring the surface. Need some magic that is not $49.99999 plus $19.9999 shipping plus handling plus tax plus not guaranteed to work plus... 🤔

Information here https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/chemistry/2025/press-release/

--- 🧪 The Story of Chemistry – From Past to Present to Future --- 1. Ancient Chemistry (Alchemy – Before Science) Thousands of years ago, humans began experimenting with metals, pigments, and medicinal plants. In Egypt and China, people practiced alchemy — a mix of philosophy, religion, and early chemical practice. They tried to transform “base metals” into gold and discover an “elixir of life.” Although their methods weren’t scientific, they discovered many substances (mercury, sulfur, saltpeter) and techniques (distillation, smelting). This period laid the hands-on foundation for modern chemistry. --- 2. The Birth of Modern Chemistry (1600–1800) Robert Boy…

I am trying to do an experiment that evolves me place a liquid in a tube of some sort and adding a couple of metals that I was to heat up and control the temp and pressure of. I am not looking for someone sell this to me just point in the direction of what something like this would be called. I have searched and have not found anything that will do this, but I am sure I am not searching for the right thing. it doesn't have to be larger

I've been looking into skincare and makeup, reading labels and doing some research of course. What I've noticed is when I google a product and read lots of ingredients, there are mostly-if not completely-good things. Not a problem in the slightest. But there will be forums and articles deterring consumers from certain products that actually work very well. Their reasoning for why it's bad is completely unscientific and illogical, like "It contains silicones!". It's like people learn a new word like "silicone" and spread fear-mongering like it's the Gospel! So, I need to know exactly what is bad to put on your face (in general, because everyone's skin is different).

Greetings. Several mixes not to repel, but to kill are published as effective; being two most mentioned: borax + powder sugar, and baking soda + powder sugar + water. Proportions seem empirical; is there a best proven ratio of compounds ? Borax labeled as sodium borate, sodium tetraborate, or disodium tetraborate. Baking soda labeled as sodium bicarbonate. Do you know a better one ? It bothers me the baking soda-in-water preparation prevents? a later in-ants-belly reaction to produce gas as it would had already reacted while being prepared. In my ignorance, how wrong am I ? Is outgassing to be induced in the ant digestive tract and not before ingesting ?

I was recently given a humidor and one of the recommendations is to use distilled water or propylene glycol (PG) to hydrate the sponges inside. Unfortunately, I have Dipropylene Glycol (DPG) on hand for making incense but not PG. From my experience and meager knowledge of chemistry, in general, it seems to me one could be substituted for the other for most applications but I have been able to find nothing about doing so in a humidor. I know DPG is slightly more viscous than PG and has a little higher boiling point but have no idea whether the difference is enough to significantly affect performance in a humidor or if DPG would actually even work. If anyone knows a definit…

Hi. A drop of vinegar tells if magnesium or aluminium. Is there a simple way to tell if it is bronze or brass ?

Hi, I purchased a 1Kg bag of Chlorine Dioxide powder which I intended to use for disinfecting caravan water tanks and other smaller plastic containers and water bladders for drinking water, I choose the powder over tablets as the tablets are much more expensive. The recommended dosage for non municipal water from lakes, dams, rivers etc ranges anywhere from 1-2ppm to 10+ depending on the water quality and filtration. This 1kg bag treats 100,000L at 1ppm. From my research there are two types of dry Chlorine Dioxide products, one that comes in two parts, and another that is just a single powder-which is what I have. But I can't find any specific info on application and want…

I’m exploring a technical concept involving a sealed gel system that acts as a thermal transfer medium in a flexible, enclosed structure. The gel would be required to facilitate both heat and cold transfer by interacting with nearby chemical heat/cold sources (e.g., sodium acetate or urea-based reactions). It will be completely enclosed and not in contact with skin, but it needs to operate reliably across a temperature range of approximately 10°C to 45°C over repeated cycles. I’d be very grateful for your insight on the following: Material Compatibility – Would a gel composed of water, propylene glycol, glycerin, and a gelling agent like sodium polyacrylate or fumed silic…

Hi. What compounds are added while manufacturing wall paint that determine if results are glossy or flat finish ?

How energy and cost demanding is the process to recycle spent or failed lithium batteries to recover lithium into manufacturing new batteries ? From years of experience, only about 25% of lithium batteries get spent; most have a single cell failure that forces discarding the whole relatively good package. Is a non-spent cell from such pack yielding better/more/easier recycled lithium than a truly spent one ? What compounds are not recoverable into lithium in a spent battery ? Does a failed cell contain 'better' lithium than a 'spent' one ? What about when recycling new unused/obsolete cells ?

Hi. Everyone asked had a favorite response. Steam; water with vinegar; or with detergent, or with alcohol, or with ammonia, or paint thinner, or any hot fluid... Applying newspaper onto the wetted surface (to 'seal' moisture much longer) or thin plastic film for the same purpose... Assuming all the glues used are the same; what makes more chemical sense ? Or is just matter of dissolving it and not to react with the glue ?

Are they the same thing? If not, what makes them different? Someone somewhere (I can't remember where) said they were the same because they both have to go through hydrolysis.

I'm currently researching food coloring additives and their dangers. I've come across a couple that seem like there's no concrete evidence for just how dangerous they are, but we should still be scared of them anyway. I'm not the one for fearmongers, only facts. So, I would appreciate it if anyone came to my rescue and told me what they knew about popular color additives and even ones we don't use anymore.

Hi. Silver conductive ink is used to restore continuity in circuits. The Ag is particulate powder in suspension in a solvent that evaporates... I think. Is there any chemical solvent that has metal in true chemical reaction solution that when dried/evaporated, its precipitated residue is conductive metal ?

A new concept I have come up with is called "unstable chemistry" in which you transmute chemical elements from one element to another by using radioactive decay to either increase an atom's proton number or decrease an atom's proton number.

Hi. Your headache is back. What chemical compound can be mixed with Portland cement, that when gets wet will generate effervescence of either nitrogen, oxygen, hydrogen, air, carbon dioxide, whatever other small enough gas bubbles, staying in suspension a while until mix sets/cures creating sort of pumice or aerated concrete ?

How can I test if a mixture I have contains ethanol or isopropyl (mixture is 70% alcohol and 30% purified water)? Will a simple "salting out expuriment" work (seeing if the mixture separated with salt or not)? Or is there a better way to check it?

I recently bought a home chemistry lab and I need to use denatured alcohol for the burner. 1. What type of alcohol is best suited for this (ethyl alcohol, isopropyl, etc.)? And after buying the alcohol what would be the best and safest way to store it without worrying about the flammable vapors in my house

Hello. What progress has been reached; and hurdles encountered ? Five years ago, someone was into producing fuels via pyrolisis in a humble processing plant in Mexico I believe, getting attention from the media. A few reports along the years, but no signs of real taking off. What do you know ? Is there any contaminating gases or byproducts created from the process ?

# Main Title: Fireworks: The Chemical Makeup # Introduction: Fireworks have always been associated with celebrations and excitement. The vibrant colors and explosive displays never fail to captivate us. But haverotechnic wonders? In this blog post, we will delve into the chemical makeup of fireworks and explore the science behind their mesmerizing effects. # The Chemistry Behind the Spark: - Fireworks consist of various chemical compounds that work together to produce the stunning visual effects we all love. Let's break down the key components: + **Fuel**: The fuel in fireworks is typically a mixture of charcoal, sulfur for the fireworks to ig…