Maple sugar sand

[Mobjack Bay]

Nope. If this melted it would be syrup rather than strained out of the syrup! Maple sugar sand is actually minerals from the sap. Maple syrup gets strained to remove the nitre (sugar sand) and bottled at around 220°F.

Is it mostly calcium? calcium malate? That’s all I could come up with online. If so, I think it might cause soap scum or use up some of your NaOH. disclaimer: not a chemist!

 

[Servant4Christ]

Is it mostly calcium? calcium malate? That’s all I could come up with online. If so, I think it might cause soap scum or use up some of your NaOH. disclaimer: not a chemist!

Oh wow. Guess I'll go do some research.

 

[Servant4Christ]

Ok I found this. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/230453104_The_Chemical_Composition_of_Maple_Sugar_Sand

@DeeAnna Could you weigh in on this? Will this cause a problem in soap if I add it the same as I would pumice?

 

[DeeAnna]

Easiest way to find out is to do an experiment with your particular sand.

Either NaOH (bar) soap or KOH (liquid) soap is fine, but it has to be really truly lye-based soap not a syndet cleanser. And ~distilled~ water is important too -- don't use water from the tap even if it goes through a filter. The soap and water mix should be clear pretty much like plain water.

Stir some of your maple sugar sand into the soapy water and let it sit long enough so any undissolved solids have time to settle out. If the soapy water is remains clear, the dissolved portion of the maples sugar sand hasn't reacted with the soap. If the water becomes cloudy, the sand has reacted with the soap.

 

[Zany_in_CO]

Abstract​

Chemical Composition of Maple Sugar Sand

The gritty material obtained by filtering commercial maple sirup was analyzed to determine its composition and to relate its composition to the amount of sugar sand deposited to determine the factors responsible for the formation of sugar sand.

The samples, taken over a two-year period, contained calcium, malic acid, and undetermined material (probably silica) as the major constituents. The calcium, malic acid, and calcium malate content gave highly significant positive correlations with the amount of sugar sand formed, whereas the percentage of undetermined material gave a negative correlation.

There was also evidence that the malic acid content was more critical in the formation of sugar sand than the calcium content.

Highly significant negative correlations were obtained between the percent sugar sand deposited and the iron, copper, and boron content. Further, these constituents also gave highly significant negative correlations when compared with the calcium content of the sugar sand. The presence of potassium, magnesium, and molybdenum appeared to have little effect on the formation of sugar sand.

The nonvolatile organic acids present in sugar sand were determined by paper chromatography. Results showed that sugar sand contains malic, citric, succinic, fumaric, and three unidentified organic acids.

 

[Servant4Christ]

@Zany_in_CO That is the same link I posted above, I just don't know how to do it the same way you do!

 

[Zany_in_CO]

I just don't know how to do it the same way you do!

Magic!

 

[Servant4Christ]

Easiest way to find out is to do an experiment with your particular sand.

Either NaOH (bar) soap or KOH (liquid) soap is fine, but it has to be really truly lye-based soap not a syndet cleanser. And ~distilled~ water is important too -- don't use water from the tap even if it goes through a filter. The soap and water mix should be clear pretty much like plain water.

Stir some of your maple sugar sand into the soapy water and let it sit long enough so any undissolved solids have time to settle out. If the soapy water is remains clear, the dissolved portion of the maples sugar sand hasn't reacted with the soap. If the water becomes cloudy, the sand has reacted with the soap.

NaOH bar soap is the plan. So if I'm reading your post correctly, I can just grab a bar of my cured soap and lather up in some distilled water and stir a bit of maple sand in it and allow it to settle in order to see if the sand and soap react? What will this tell me in regard to if the sand will cause soap scum? Sorry, I'm under the weather and not thinking at 100% today.

 

[DeeAnna]

If the liquid turns cloudy that tells you the sand has enough free calcium (or other minerals) to react with the soap and form soap scum. If you see that, it probably isn't the best idea to use your particular sand in soap making.

 

[Servant4Christ]

Thank you! I'm going to warm up some distilled water and lather up right now!

 

[Servant4Christ]

Whoa! I microwaved a pint jar half filled with distilled water for 1 minute. Then, I dropped in a fully cured bar of ZNSB for 1 minute and pulled it back out. The water was soapy, but clear. I proceeded to add a half tsp of sugar sand and the water instantly went a bit cloudy and the sand mostly fell to the bottom of the jar same as it always does in water. So then, I gave it all a quick stir with a stainless butter knife to incorporate and it turned opaque bright white! I'm waiting to see if the sand separates back out and if the water goes back to clear or not. I love this kind of science!

 

[DeeAnna]

Glad you did a little "kitchen chemistry" today -- well done, you!

 

[Servant4Christ]

Well, for the sake of curiosity, I repeated the exact same process with powdered pumice and have a very similar (cloudy) reaction. I'm waiting for it to settle now. Could the ZNSB soap made with faux seawater be the cause of this reaction? I think I'll do the same test with a non-saltwater bar soap.

 

[Servant4Christ]

I repeated the earlier experiment using the exact same process with my coconut dish soap that I used distilled water to make.
When I checked 2 hrs later, the pumice was on the bottom of the jar. The maple sugar sand looked like curdled separated milk on the bottom-ish of the jar and the water was clear.
I will not be using the maple sugar sand as a soaping ingredient based on these findings. Thank you, @DeeAnna !