What Happens When Baking Soda Hits Hot Oil ???

[Mark Thorson]

When you work with hot oil for deep-frying,
you should always keep a box of baking soda
nearby. If the oil catches fire (most likely
because the temperature was too high), dumping
a box of baking soda in there will snuff out
the flames instantly.

I've only had to do this once, and I recall
the baking soda fizzing when it hit the hot oil.
I'm trying to figure out what's going here.
It doesn't seem like the reaction with vinegar,
in which carbon dioxide is a product of neutralizing
an acid with a base. Oil shouldn't be significantly
acidic or basic. I'm thinking maybe the common form
of baking soda has water of hydration which is being
torn apart in the "hot oil" reaction to liberate
CO2 and leave behind something like caustic soda,
because the sodium ion is still there but it's lost
its counterion. Is that what's happening?

[Dr Ivan D. Reid]

Post by Mark Thorson
I've only had to do this once, and I recall
the baking soda fizzing when it hit the hot oil.
I'm trying to figure out what's going here.
It doesn't seem like the reaction with vinegar,
in which carbon dioxide is a product of neutralizing
an acid with a base. Oil shouldn't be significantly
acidic or basic. I'm thinking maybe the common form
of baking soda has water of hydration which is being
torn apart in the "hot oil" reaction to liberate
CO2 and leave behind something like caustic soda,
because the sodium ion is still there but it's lost
its counterion. Is that what's happening?

No. The heat decomposes the sodium bicarbonate into
sodium hydroxide and carbon dioxide. This is a reversible reaction
and has been proposed as a way of soaking up CO2 emissions at
power plants -- by a politician who didn't realise the scales involved...

This reaction is also what causes some fried foods to swell,
e.g. poppadoms.

[Dirk Bruere at NeoPax]

Post by Dr Ivan D. Reid

Post by Mark Thorson
I've only had to do this once, and I recall
the baking soda fizzing when it hit the hot oil.
I'm trying to figure out what's going here.
It doesn't seem like the reaction with vinegar,
in which carbon dioxide is a product of neutralizing
an acid with a base. Oil shouldn't be significantly
acidic or basic. I'm thinking maybe the common form
of baking soda has water of hydration which is being
torn apart in the "hot oil" reaction to liberate
CO2 and leave behind something like caustic soda,
because the sodium ion is still there but it's lost
its counterion. Is that what's happening?

No. The heat decomposes the sodium bicarbonate into
sodium hydroxide and carbon dioxide. This is a reversible reaction
and has been proposed as a way of soaking up CO2 emissions at
power plants -- by a politician who didn't realise the scales involved...
This reaction is also what causes some fried foods to swell,
e.g. poppadoms.

Decomposes into sodium carbonate and CO2

[Marvin]

Post by Dirk Bruere at NeoPax

Post by Dr Ivan D. Reid

Post by Mark Thorson
I've only had to do this once, and I recall
the baking soda fizzing when it hit the hot oil.
I'm trying to figure out what's going here.
It doesn't seem like the reaction with vinegar,
in which carbon dioxide is a product of neutralizing
an acid with a base. Oil shouldn't be significantly
acidic or basic. I'm thinking maybe the common form
of baking soda has water of hydration which is being
torn apart in the "hot oil" reaction to liberate
CO2 and leave behind something like caustic soda,
because the sodium ion is still there but it's lost
its counterion. Is that what's happening?

No. The heat decomposes the sodium bicarbonate into
sodium hydroxide and carbon dioxide. This is a reversible reaction
and has been proposed as a way of soaking up CO2 emissions at
power plants -- by a politician who didn't realise the scales involved...
This reaction is also what causes some fried foods to swell,
e.g. poppadoms.

Decomposes into sodium carbonate and CO2

Please write out a balanced reaction for that. Take CO2
from NaHCO3 and what is left?

[Ian Gay]

Post by Marvin

Post by Dirk Bruere at NeoPax

Post by Dr Ivan D. Reid

Post by Mark Thorson
I've only had to do this once, and I recall
the baking soda fizzing when it hit the hot oil.
I'm trying to figure out what's going here.
It doesn't seem like the reaction with vinegar,
in which carbon dioxide is a product of neutralizing
an acid with a base. Oil shouldn't be significantly
acidic or basic. I'm thinking maybe the common form
of baking soda has water of hydration which is being
torn apart in the "hot oil" reaction to liberate
CO2 and leave behind something like caustic soda,
because the sodium ion is still there but it's lost
its counterion. Is that what's happening?

No. The heat decomposes the sodium bicarbonate into
sodium hydroxide and carbon dioxide. This is a reversible reaction
and has been proposed as a way of soaking up CO2 emissions at
power plants -- by a politician who didn't realise the scales involved...
This reaction is also what causes some fried foods to swell,
e.g. poppadoms.

Decomposes into sodium carbonate and CO2

Please write out a balanced reaction for that. Take CO2
from NaHCO3 and what is left?

2 NaHCO3 --> Na2CO3 + CO2 + H2O

[Madalch]

Please write out a balanced reaction for that.  Take CO2
from NaHCO3 and what is left?

2 NaHCO3 --> Na2CO3 + H2O + CO2.

[Frank]

Post by Dirk Bruere at NeoPax

Post by Dr Ivan D. Reid

Post by Mark Thorson
I've only had to do this once, and I recall
the baking soda fizzing when it hit the hot oil.
I'm trying to figure out what's going here.
It doesn't seem like the reaction with vinegar,
in which carbon dioxide is a product of neutralizing
an acid with a base. Oil shouldn't be significantly
acidic or basic. I'm thinking maybe the common form
of baking soda has water of hydration which is being
torn apart in the "hot oil" reaction to liberate
CO2 and leave behind something like caustic soda,
because the sodium ion is still there but it's lost
its counterion. Is that what's happening?

No. The heat decomposes the sodium bicarbonate into
sodium hydroxide and carbon dioxide. This is a reversible reaction
and has been proposed as a way of soaking up CO2 emissions at
power plants -- by a politician who didn't realise the scales involved...
This reaction is also what causes some fried foods to swell,
e.g. poppadoms.

Decomposes into sodium carbonate and CO2

"Dr. Ivan" must be an MD or maybe an engineer ;)

[Salmon Egg]

Post by Dirk Bruere at NeoPax
Decomposes into sodium carbonate and CO2

I presume this means that at least a bit of soap is formed.

Bill

[Ron Shepard]

Post by Dr Ivan D. Reid

Post by Mark Thorson
I've only had to do this once, and I recall
the baking soda fizzing when it hit the hot oil.
I'm trying to figure out what's going here.
It doesn't seem like the reaction with vinegar,
in which carbon dioxide is a product of neutralizing
an acid with a base. Oil shouldn't be significantly
acidic or basic. I'm thinking maybe the common form
of baking soda has water of hydration which is being
torn apart in the "hot oil" reaction to liberate
CO2 and leave behind something like caustic soda,
because the sodium ion is still there but it's lost
its counterion. Is that what's happening?

No. The heat decomposes the sodium bicarbonate into
sodium hydroxide and carbon dioxide. This is a reversible reaction
and has been proposed as a way of soaking up CO2 emissions at
power plants -- by a politician who didn't realise the scales involved...
This reaction is also what causes some fried foods to swell,
e.g. poppadoms.

This is why baking soda is used in breads, cakes, pancakes,
biscuits, and so on. When it is heated in the oven it gives off CO2.

$.02 -Ron Shepard

[Frank]

Post by Ron Shepard

Post by Dr Ivan D. Reid

Post by Mark Thorson
I've only had to do this once, and I recall
the baking soda fizzing when it hit the hot oil.
I'm trying to figure out what's going here.
It doesn't seem like the reaction with vinegar,
in which carbon dioxide is a product of neutralizing
an acid with a base. Oil shouldn't be significantly
acidic or basic. I'm thinking maybe the common form
of baking soda has water of hydration which is being
torn apart in the "hot oil" reaction to liberate
CO2 and leave behind something like caustic soda,
because the sodium ion is still there but it's lost
its counterion. Is that what's happening?

No. The heat decomposes the sodium bicarbonate into
sodium hydroxide and carbon dioxide. This is a reversible reaction
and has been proposed as a way of soaking up CO2 emissions at
power plants -- by a politician who didn't realise the scales involved...
This reaction is also what causes some fried foods to swell,
e.g. poppadoms.

This is why baking soda is used in breads, cakes, pancakes,
biscuits, and so on. When it is heated in the oven it gives off CO2.
$.02 -Ron Shepard

Yes, according to Wiki decomposition starts at 60 deg. C but also baking
powder contains acidic substance to help the decomposition.

[Salmon Egg]

Post by Ron Shepard

Post by Dr Ivan D. Reid
This reaction is also what causes some fried foods to swell,
e.g. poppadoms.

This is why baking soda is used in breads, cakes, pancakes,
biscuits, and so on. When it is heated in the oven it gives off CO2.

Is this really true? Is baking soda by itself a leavening agent? I think
that all products using baking soda as a leavening agent use it in the
form of baking powder. This includes an acidic ingredient that yields
CO2 when mixed with water.

Bill

[Richard Schultz]

In article <SalmonEgg-***@news.la.sbcglobal.net>, Salmon Egg <***@sbcglobal.net> wrote:

: Is this really true? Is baking soda by itself a leavening agent? I think
: that all products using baking soda as a leavening agent use it in the
: form of baking powder.

You've obviously never baked chocolate chip cookies:
http://www.verybestbaking.com/recipes/detail.aspx?ID=18476

-----
Richard Schultz ***@mail.biu.ac.il
Department of Chemistry, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat-Gan, Israel
Opinions expressed are mine alone, and not those of Bar-Ilan University
-----
"Logic is a wreath of pretty flowers which smell bad."

[Salmon Egg]

Post by Richard Schultz
http://www.verybestbaking.com/recipes/detail.aspx?ID=18476

That is true. What happens if you leave out the baking soda?

I have baked sourdough where the recipe called for some baking soda, In
that case, there was enough acid produced from the starter to leaven. On
the other hand, I liked the sour taste of the bread if I were lucky
enough to have a vigorous starter that did not need outside help to
leaven. Adding the baking soda did nothing for me.

Bill