KNOWLEDGE AND CONCEPTS
According to Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS), NaHCO3, KHCO3 is not associated with adverse effects to human health.
A. Sources of KHCO3 and NaHCO3:
According to the result of analysis of the ash performed by University of Guelph- laboratory service found 200 ppm of ion K+ in the ash. Consequently, analysis of Ash completed by Mentor College - chemistry department, found that Ash contains KHCO3 salt. In addition, NaHCO3 known as baking soda and is a very common chemical. Therefore, the two chemicals are considerably available for use.
B. Paint components:
There are generally three components in paint: binder, diluent, and additives. However, only the binder is absolutely required. The binder is the part which eventually solidifies to form the dried paint film. The diluent serves to adjust the viscosity of paint. It is volatile and does not become part of the paint film. Anything else is an additive.
Typical binders such as: Acrylics, polyurethanes, polyesters, melamines…
Typical diluents include organic solvents such as: alcohols, ketones, ester, and ethylene glycol(HOCH2CH2OH)…
Typical additives include pigment, dyes, thickeners, stabilizers…
With the above organic substances, Polyurethanes (chain of organic units joined by urethane links), melamine ( C3H6N6), alcohols( CnH2n+1OH), ketones(R1COR2), pigment, ethylene glycol(HOCH2CH2OH) will stay the same when KHCO3 is added. Below are bonding structures of these components compared to KHCO3’s bonding:
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( one chain of urethane)
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Potassium bicarbonate ( KHCO3) contained in Ash
Sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO3), baking soda.
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Melamine (C3H6N6)
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( ketone)
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( ester) |
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(ethylene glycol) |
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KHCO3 and NaHCO3 are soluble in water; however they are insoluble in alcohol.
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Therefore, theoretically it seems to be possible for KHCO3 and NaHCO3 to be safely added to paint.
C. Wood components:
Wood is a mixture of three natural polymers -- cellulose, lignin and hemicelluloses, in an approximate ratio of 50:25:25, depending on species.
Cellulose ( C5H10O5)n is a long-chain polymer of glucose which differs from starch, also a glucose polymer, only in the configuration of the glucose molecules.
Lignin is a three-dimensional polymer formed from phenyl propane units.
Hemicelluloses are ‘branched polymers of five-carbon sugars (pentoses), such as xylose, or six-carbon sugars (hexoses) other than glucose. Both three of organic compounds contains mainly three elements: C, H, O, therefore when they are burned also following the combustion of derivatives of hydrocarbon reaction:
CxHyOz + (x + y/4 – z/2) O2 ¨ xCO2 + y/2 H2O
When the wood loses its water, it supposed to be compressed itself before turning into ash.
