auriuman78 - 23-4-2011 at 11:19
Had a discussion yesterday with a colleague and came across the terminology 'lye bed' and could not resolve the chem lab equivalent of this process.
Any explanations? Thanks...
Saerynide - 23-4-2011 at 12:59
I'm going to take a stab at this:
If this was in the context of a chemical process, then I'm assuming it could be a packed column with lye and the stream is passed through for whatever
reason (ie: drying, neutralization, reaction?)
Usually, a "bed" in chemical engineering is a column filled with packing, such as solid catalyst or raschig rings for separations. It could also be a
fluidized bed reactor, where solid particles are made to behave like a fluid, but it seems unlikely that a fluidized bed would be full of sodium
hydroxide...
[Edited on 4/23/2011 by Saerynide]
hissingnoise - 23-4-2011 at 13:05
"Lye bed" may refer to an ash-pit which was used in a very old soap-making process!
It may, of course, have other meanings . . .
Neil - 26-4-2011 at 22:44
Apparently having one is bad!
Possibly a solution of lye under a layer of solvent? googling it brings up threads where methheads talk about using it to separate chemicals by
solubility. Also;
http://docfiles.justia.com/cases/federal/district-courts/mis...
by] knowingly manufactur[ing] by the red phosphorous method
90 grams or more of a compound containing any quantity of methamphetamine, a controlled
substance, knowing that it was a controlled substance"; in Count II with violating Mo. Rev. Stat. ยง
195.233 on March 19, 2003, by committing "the class D felony of possession of drug paraphernalia
with intent to use," specifically by possessing "Coleman camp fuel, acetone, muriatic acid, lye bed,
red phosphorous, a gallon sized jar, [and] iodine crystals, with the intent to use them in combination
with each other to manufacture methamphetamine";
I think it was the gallon sized jar that got him in trouble.