Baby Powder Talcumpowder(babypowder)ismadefromtalc,amineralmadeupmainlyoftheelementsmagnesium,silicon,andoxygen.Asapowder,itabsorbsmoisturewellandhelpscutdownonfriction,makingitusefulforkeepingskindryandhelpingtopreventrashes.Itiswidelyusedincosmeticproductssuchasbabypowderandadultbodyandfacialpowders,aswellasinanumberofotherconsumerproducts.
Corn Starch Cornstarchisafine,powderystarchthatismadeoutofcorn.Thecornstarchisactuallymadefromtheendospermofthecorn,whichmakesupmostofthekernelsthatweeatwhenenjoyingpopcornorcornonthecob.Cornstarch,alsosometimescalledcornflour,isproducedbygrinding,washinganddryingtheendospermofthecornuntilitreachesthatfine,powderystate.Cornstarchisglutenfree.
Cornstarchhasmanyculinaryuses,butitismostoftenusedasathickenerforsauces,graviesandfruitpiefillings.Cornstarchthickensveryquicklyandeasily,andformsaclearsauceaftercooking,ratherthananopaqueone.Ithasroughlytwicethethickeningpowerofflour,andisflavorlessaftercooking.
Baking Powder Bakingpowderisaraising
agentthatiscommonlyusedincake-making.Itismadefromabase,bicarbonateofsoda(bakingsoda),andanacid,creamoftartar(Potassiumbitartrate),plusafillerlikecornflourorriceflourwhichabsorbsmoisture.
Thepowderisactivatedwhenliquidisadded,producingcarbondioxideandformingbubblesthatcausethemixturetoexpand.Forthisreason,itisimportanttogetyourcakemixtureintotheovenquicklyoncethe'wet'ingredientshavebeenaddedtothe'dry'ingredients.
Plaster of Paris Knownsinceancienttimes,plasterofparisissocalledbecauseofitspreparationfromtheabundantgypsumfoundnearParis.GypsumPlasterisafinewhitepowderwhichhardenswhenmoistenedandallowedtodry.Plasterofparisispreparedbyheatingcalciumsulfatedihydrate,orgypsum,to120–180°C(248–356°F).
Plasterofparisdoesnotgenerallyshrinkorcrackwhendry,makingitanexcellentmediumforcastingmolds.Itiscommonlyusedtoprecastandholdpartsofornamentalplasterworkplacedonceilingsandcornices.Itisalsousedinmedicinetomakeplastercaststoimmobilizebrokenboneswhiletheyheal.Somesculptorsworkdirectlyinplasterofparis,asthespeedatwhichtheplastersetsgivestheworkasenseofimmediacyandenablesthesculptortoachievetheoriginalideaquickly.
Sugar Sugarisanaturalingredientthathasbeenpartofourdietforthousandsofyears.Sugarsarecarbohydratesthatprovideenergyforthebody.Themostcommonsugarinthebodyisglucosewhichyourbrain,majororgansandmusclesneedtofunctionproperly.
Somesugarsarefoundnaturallyinfoods(e.g.fruit,vegetablesandmilk)whileothersareusedduringprocessingandcooking.
Sucroseisoftencalledtablesugar.Madeupfromglucoseandfructose,itisextractedfromsugarcaneorsugarbeetandalsonaturallypresentinmostfruitsandvegetables
Inadditiontoprovidingasweettasteandflavor,sugarperformsavarietyoffunctionsinfoodproducts.Sugarisusedasapreservative,wheresugarinhibitsthegrowthofmicroorganisms.Sugarisusedinbakedgoods,likecakes,toholdmoistureandpreventstalenessthatisnoticedwhenthesefoodsdryout.Incannedfruitandvegetables,sugarenhancestextureandcolors.Sugarisalsousedtopreventlargeicecrystalsfromforminginfrozensweetmixtures,likeicecream,andtosupportfermentationinproductscontainingyeast,suchasbread.Intheserolesandothers,sugarisanimportantandversatilefoodingredient.
Salt Salt(NaCl,SodiumChloride)isanaturalmineralmadeupofwhitecube-shapedcrystalscomposedoftwoelements,sodiumandchlorine.
Itistranslucent,colorless,odorlessandhasadistinctiveandcharacteristictaste.
Saltoccursnaturallyinmanypartsoftheworldinmineralformandhasbeenminedforthousandsofyears.
Mostpeopleprobablythinkofsaltassimplyafoodseasoning.Infact,only6%ofallsaltmanufacturedgoesintofood.Weusesaltinmorethan14,000differentways.
Someoftheusesofsalt:
WaterConditioningWaterisconsideredhardwhenitcontainscalcium&magnesium(hardnessions).Replacingthemwith'soft'sodiumionssoftensthewateravoidingscalebuild-uponhotwaterappliances
IndustrialChemicalsThegreatestsingleuseforsaltisasafeedstockfortheproductionofindustrialchemicalsandintotalaccountsfor68%ofallthesaltmanufactured
FoodGradeSaltAllanimals,humansincluded,requirebothsodiumandchlorideforlifeandhealth.Sincethebodycannotmanufactureeither,itisimportanttheseessentialnutrientsformpartofourdailydiet
HighwayDeicingSaltisthemosteffective,readilyavailable,andeconomicalhighwaydeicerinusetodayandaccountsfor8%ofallsaltproductionPaperManufacturingInpapermakingsaltisusedtomanufacturecausticsodaandchlorine.Causticsodaisusedtoprocesswoodfibresandchlorineisusedtobleachthepulp
AgricultureLivestock,poultryandotheranimalsneedsaltsupplementsaspartofanutritionallybalanceddiettoremainhealthyanddiseasefree
Baking Soda
Akabicarbonateofsodaorsodiumbicarbonate.
BakingsodaisaBASE.Whenyoumixbakingsoda(BASE)withvinegar(ACID)yougetachemicalreaction(aneruptionofbubbles!).Aproductofthisreactioniscarbondioxide.
Thesameexactreactionhappensinourcookies,cakes,breads,etc.Whenarecipecallsforbakingsoda(BASE),itusuallycallsforsometypeofACID.Likebuttermilk,brownsugar,yogurt,lemonjuice,vinegar,creamoftartar,molasses,applesauce,naturalcocoapowder,orhoney.YouneedthisACIDintherecipetoreactwiththebakingsoda,whichinturncreatescarbondioxideandallowsyourbakedgoodtorise.SomeeverydayusesofBakingSoda(besidesbaking)1.Cleaning-itisabrasiveandworksgreatforscrubbinggreaseoffofpans,grills,etc.Addittothelaundry.Itwillmakeyourclothescleanerandwhiter.2.Deodorizing-openaboxinthefridgetoabsorbodors,sprinkleitinstinkyshoes,sprinkleonthecarpetbeforevacuuming.***Therearemany,manymoreusesforbakingsoda….Thislistisjustafew.
Borax Borax,alsoknownassodiumborate,sodiumtetraborate,ordisodiumtetraborate,isanimportantboroncompound,amineral,andthesaltofboricacid.Itisusuallyawhitepowderconsistingofsoftcolorlesscrystalsthatdissolveeasilyinwater.
Boraxhasawidevarietyofuses.Itisacomponentofmanydetergents,cosmetics,andenamelglazes.Itisalsousedtomakebuffersolutionsinbiochemistry,asafireretardant,asananti-fungalcompoundforfiberglass,asafluxinmetallurgy,neutron-captureshieldsforradioactivesources,texturingagentincooking,andasaprecursorforotherboroncompounds.
BoraxwasfirstdiscoveredindrylakebedsinTibetandwasimportedviatheSilkRoadtoArabia.Boraxfirstcameintocommonuseinthelate19thcenturywhenFrancisMarionSmith’sPacificCoastBoraxCompanybegantomarketandpopularizealargevarietyofapplicationsunderthefamous20MuleTeamBoraxtrademark,namedforthemethodbywhichboraxwasoriginallyhauledoutoftheCaliforniaandNevadadeserts.
Boraxoccursnaturallyinevaporatedepositsproducedbytherepeatedevaporationofseasonallakes.Boraxcanalsobeproducedsyntheticallyfromotherboroncompounds.Naturallyoccurringboraxisrefinedbytheprocessofre-crystallization.
Flour Pronounceit:fl-ow-erFlourisapowderyingredientusuallymadefromgrindingwheat,maize,rye,barleyorrice.Asthemainingredientinbread,itisoneofthemostcommonandsought-afteringredientsintheworld.Wheatflouristhemostpopularandversatileflourandtherearemanydifferentvarieties:Whiteflour,otherwiseknownasplainflour,containsabout75percentofthewheatgrain,withmostofthebranandwheatgermtakenout.Itiscommonlyusedforcakes,pastriesandbiscuits.Whenusedincakesitiscombinedwitharaisingagentsuchasbakingpowderorbicarbonateofsoda.Itisalsousedinquickbreadslikesodabread,producingamoredenselytexturedloaf.Whiteflourisusuallyartificiallywhitenedbutyoucanbuyanunbleachedvarietyifyoupreferwhichisanoff-whitecolor.
