BLSC - SLES Percentage?

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sam1220
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BLSC - SLES Percentage?

Post by sam1220 » May 16th, 2021, 12:30 pm

I promise I've Googled, searched, and read about 30 posts about mixing up BLSC. I cannot find anything about the percentage I should buy.

I'm going to mix up 2 gallons of BLSC and 2 gallons of KH to start applying regularly. The SLES that I'm finding comes in 16%, 30%, and 60%.

Which do I choose?

Thanks!

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MorpheusPA
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Re: BLSC - SLES Percentage?

Post by MorpheusPA » May 16th, 2021, 2:27 pm

60%.

Or you can also, and much cheaper, purchase sodium lauryl sulfate powder and use it at around 4-5 oz per gallon.

sam1220
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Re: BLSC - SLES Percentage?

Post by sam1220 » May 16th, 2021, 4:57 pm

Thanks as always, Morpheus.

I ordered Humic Acid Extract (liquid, GS Plants) last year but never mixed it up. I read in another post that you recommended the powder for the recipe. Is everything in the recipe (from the main articles page) in powder form?

sam1220
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Re: BLSC - SLES Percentage?

Post by sam1220 » May 16th, 2021, 5:01 pm

And Sodium Lauryl Sulfoacetate (SLSA) is OK? I found 2.5lbs for $24. Much better than the liquid, thanks!

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MorpheusPA
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Re: BLSC - SLES Percentage?

Post by MorpheusPA » May 16th, 2021, 9:55 pm

While I generally recommend sodium lauryl sulfate, SLSA would also do if it had to (it's not that it isn't fine, it's just that I haven't sat down and made sure it's completely perfect; my initial instinct is that there would be no problems and no detectable difference at all between the two). It's a larger molecule surfactant, used in soap making and whatnot to create a very bubbly mix.

Generally, sodium lauryl sulfate or sodium laureth sulfate powder should be cheaper.

https://www.makeyourown.buzz/sodium-lau ... CUQAvD_BwE

Here's sodium lauryl sulfate for less than $7 per pound. Five pounds for about the same price as the SLSA's 2.5.

Warning: Wear goggles and a mask when mixing this stuff. It's not toxic--it's used in synthetic detergents by the literal ton--but airborne powder will be exceptionally irritating to mucus membranes because it'll happily strip the mucus and oils from them. You'll cough for ages and your eyes feel like sandpaper. One brand of powder was so fine it was a major problem. MYO's isn't nearly as bad, though.

I initially did the article in a liquid mix. Nowadays, I do everything in powder form for ease of use (and longevity of storage). It's also a lot cheaper by unit and usually much cheaper to ship as well.


bolson32
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Re: BLSC - SLES Percentage?

Post by bolson32 » July 7th, 2021, 11:16 am

Warning. Necro post.

Morph,

Would it be possible to update the BLSC/BLKH article to include powder recipes? I'm looking to start working on this as I think I'd really benefit from both of them and want to start consolidating places to order from.

Thanks!

Green
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Re: BLSC - SLES Percentage?

Post by Green » July 7th, 2021, 3:14 pm

Morph,

I had to look up your liquid SLS proportions, because I'm happily spending the premium to not deal with the powder. You recommended using 16oz of liquid SLS per gallon of stock solution made, in a thread somewhere. I'm going to buy a gallon, which will be enough for a pretty large area (at 2oz of stock solution per thousand, a gallon of mix is good for 64K); it's not that expensive compared to some other things.

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MorpheusPA
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Re: BLSC - SLES Percentage?

Post by MorpheusPA » July 7th, 2021, 3:37 pm

Yeah, I haven't updated the article and really need to. I can simply pull it down, rewrite, and request an edit. No big deal. In my copious spare time. :-)

Green--It's going to make a very thin solution, but that's OK for most apps. Nowadays, I'm only using a 7% solution or so anyway (it varies widely), or about the same as the average shampoo. This is not an exact science and if you can get a deal on Suave at the dollar store, I'm actually fine with that.

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Re: BLSC - SLES Percentage?

Post by bolson32 » July 8th, 2021, 8:31 am

Lol I know, but the world thanks you!

Murrdog
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Re: BLSC - SLES Percentage?

Post by Murrdog » July 14th, 2021, 4:52 pm

any update on this?

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MorpheusPA
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Re: BLSC - SLES Percentage?

Post by MorpheusPA » July 14th, 2021, 9:25 pm

Have I made an article update? No, I'm up to my ears over here. But I'm OK with liquid, solid, or off the back of the truck SLS or SLSA or SLES, really. Or dollar store Suave or baby shampoo.

bolson32
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Re: BLSC - SLES Percentage?

Post by bolson32 » July 15th, 2021, 10:11 am

Yea, totally get it.

I'm just lost on the portions of all of the liquid-to-dry items given the original recipe. Is there a simple conversion one of us could work on in the meantime? I don't really know where to start on that front. But, I won't be able to apply for a month or two anyway. Still really drought-like here.

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MorpheusPA
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Re: BLSC - SLES Percentage?

Post by MorpheusPA » July 15th, 2021, 3:42 pm

If you want to use the original recipe, that's great. It works just fine.

If you want to use a dry recipe, 5-10 oz of a dry SLS, SLES, or SLSA in 1 gallon of water is also just fine. This isn't an exact science, and that's about the mix an off the shelf shampoo would give you. Much more than 10 oz won't dissolve too easily in colder water.

If you want to use a bulk off the shelf shampoo or baby shampoo, that's fine as well. It's about 5-10% surfactant, on average, but it'll vary by what surfactant it actually is. That's not a problem.

Regardless of what mix you use (or an off the shelf shampoo), use it at 2 oz per gallon of water (or more) diluting it over a thousand square feet. If that turns out to be a thousand gallons of water, I'm fine with that, too. I often spray just before rainfall to work it in--and frequently just before a dry spell ends as it assists with water penetration into dry soil.

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