problem with silicone molds

[outlaws33]

I was trying to make a soap out of this silicone mold that we have. I poured a normal base recipe of sunflower, coocnut, and palm oil. I made a little place for it to sit in a styrofoam box for heat. The outside of the soap turned out chalky white while the inside started to turn into soap. Does anyone have any ideas of how I can fix this problem...HELP!!!!

 

[jcandleattic]

sounds like it might have only partially gelled. I would say to also insulate with a blanket around the styrofoam box to help with the heat...

 

[IanT]

I was trying to make a soap out of this silicone mold that we have. I poured a normal base recipe of sunflower, coocnut, and palm oil. I made a little place for it to sit in a styrofoam box for heat. The outside of the soap turned out chalky white while the inside started to turn into soap. Does anyone have any ideas of how I can fix this problem...HELP!!!!

would you mind giving us a little more info??

I assume that you mean that you poured your soap, and left the mold in a styrofoam box until it cooled? at which point you noticed that there was white powder on the outside of the soap? I agree, might have been a partial gel and if so better insulation (a towel or blanket around the mold). Is the soap hard throughout or is it kind of liquid in some parts?

the chalky white part of the soap is most likely (my guess w/o pics) soda ash which is what forms as a result of the soaps' contact with oxygen in the air. Some soapers will put a layer of plastic wrap over the soap so it is sealed from as much of the surrounding air as possible.

hope this helps!

 

[outlaws33]

The inside was almost there where it would have continued in the right direction. I did not put the wrap on it but I normally do for larger molds. I will have to try the blanket and the wrap next week. There just wasn't enough heat in there is what I am guessing. Sorry about no pics!

 

[IanT]

The inside was almost there where it would have continued in the right direction. I did not put the wrap on it but I normally do for larger molds. I will have to try the blanket and the wrap next week. There just wasn't enough heat in there is what I am guessing. Sorry about no pics!

no worries!! you know we are all photo hungry


and would you mind clarifying this:

The inside was almost there where it would have continued in the right direction.

you mean the inside was hard? or un-gelled?

 

[KE6WNH]

Sounds like you've run into the acid/alkali incompatibility with silicone. I once made the mistake of using a silicone rubber gasket in a lid for a bottle of muriatic acid, and guess what? In a couple of days, the acid ate into the rubber, leaving a white crust of silica (aka sand) where the acid touched it. Remember, soap is made with lye, which will attack glass and other types of silica, so it's conceivable that the white stuff you mentioned was sodium silicate which formed when the lye attacked the silica which is chemically bound up in your mold. Sodium silicate is a skin irritant and should be avoided.

 

[jcandleattic]

Sounds like you've run into the acid/alkali incompatibility with silicone. I once made the mistake of using a silicone rubber gasket in a lid for a bottle of muriatic acid, and guess what? In a couple of days, the acid ate into the rubber, leaving a white crust of silica (aka sand) where the acid touched it. Remember, soap is made with lye, which will attack glass and other types of silica, so it's conceivable that the white stuff you mentioned was sodium silicate which formed when the lye attacked the silica which is chemically bound up in your mold. Sodium silicate is a skin irritant and should be avoided.

I use silicone molds with my CP all the time (have since I started 6 years ago) and have never had any problems like you describe here.
I really think it was just a partial gel with some ash on it.

 

[lsg]

Sounds like a partial gel to me also.

 

[outlaws33]

The inside was gel and not hard. I think I am going to re run the test on the mold with a blanket around the mold to try and keep the heat in. I also have heard that you can heat the molds up to about 110 degrees this will also keep the heat in a little bit better? Any thoughts?

 

[outlaws33]

So I got my soaps to come out this time. But now everywhere that the soap was touching the mold it now has all these little bubbles. The mold is made of silicone.

Here is my recipe and my steps in the process. Any feedback is greatly Appreciated.

Water: 11.64 oz.
Lye : 4.6 oz.
Coconut oil: 9.2 oz.
Palm oil: 9.2 oz.
Sunflower oil: 13.6 oz.

I insulated a 3 foot by 2 foot cart with the mold on one of the shelves and a heater next to it. I mixed the lye and oils at 98 degrees and mixed them for ten minutes and poured into the mold. The temp. of the mixture at that point was down near 90 degrees. Then covered up the mold in the enclosure and kept the heater on the whole time. Estimating that the temp inside was around 105-110 degrees the entire 24 hours.

 

[carebear]

Sounds like you've run into the acid/alkali incompatibility with silicone. I once made the mistake of using a silicone rubber gasket in a lid for a bottle of muriatic acid, and guess what? In a couple of days, the acid ate into the rubber, leaving a white crust of silica (aka sand) where the acid touched it. Remember, soap is made with lye, which will attack glass and other types of silica, so it's conceivable that the white stuff you mentioned was sodium silicate which formed when the lye attacked the silica which is chemically bound up in your mold. Sodium silicate is a skin irritant and should be avoided.

I have several silicone soap molds and never had a problem. in fact, silicone molds are much sought after.

I'm thinking, outlaws33:
1. overheating?
2. mineral oil to grease the mold?
3. full moon? (that was the 25th)

 

[Etelka]

I think it was just partial gel, or you had the soap fairies visit :wink:

KE6WNH
Sounds like you've run into the acid/alkali incompatibility with silicone. I once made the mistake of using a silicone rubber gasket in a lid for a bottle of muriatic acid, and guess what? In a couple of days, the acid ate into the rubber, leaving a white crust of silica (aka sand) where the acid touched it. Remember, soap is made with lye, which will attack glass and other types of silica, so it's conceivable that the white stuff you mentioned was sodium silicate which formed when the lye attacked the silica which is chemically bound up in your mold. Sodium silicate is a skin irritant and should be avoided.

I stand to be corrected but I have never heard of silicone molds reacting this way, and I have used them many times and know ppl who use them all the time

Etelka

 

[cdwinsby]

So I got my soaps to come out this time. But now everywhere that the soap was touching the mold it now has all these little bubbles. The mold is made of silicone.

Here is my recipe and my steps in the process. Any feedback is greatly Appreciated.

Water: 11.64 oz.
Lye : 4.6 oz.
Coconut oil: 9.2 oz.
Palm oil: 9.2 oz.
Sunflower oil: 13.6 oz.

I insulated a 3 foot by 2 foot cart with the mold on one of the shelves and a heater next to it. I mixed the lye and oils at 98 degrees and mixed them for ten minutes and poured into the mold. The temp. of the mixture at that point was down near 90 degrees. Then covered up the mold in the enclosure and kept the heater on the whole time. Estimating that the temp inside was around 105-110 degrees the entire 24 hours.

Do you mean actual air filled bubbles? Maybe you whipped some bubbles into your traced soap? Did you use something like an oil spray to grease your mold?

 

[angbaby4974]

The exact same thing happened to me when I first used my silicone molds. Personally I think the white is soda ash. It came off when I stuck the soap under water. The second batch in the silicone molds went directly into the freezer & came out really nice!

 

[outlaws33]

HMMMM....thanks for the responses. These are actual little air pockets. I didn't put any type of oil or grease in the molds before hand. This time there was no ash so it is a step in the right direction.