How It’s Made: Natural Baking Soda
Summary
Baking soda, chemically known as sodium bicarbonate, is a versatile white crystalline powder. Its primary role in baking is to react with acidic components, generating carbon dioxide gas that leavens dough, creating a light and fluffy texture in baked goods like cakes and cookies. Its utility extends beyond culinary uses, finding applications in animal feed, fire suppression systems, and cleaning agents.
Mining and Extraction
Large natural deposits of sodium bicarbonate, formed from ancient evaporated lakes, are mined in areas such as northwest Colorado. The extraction process involves injecting hot brine underground to dissolve the sodium bicarbonate. This mineral-rich brine is then pumped to a surface processing plant.
Processing and Purification
At the plant, the brine is cooled in stages, causing the sodium bicarbonate to crystallize into granules. These crystals are separated from the brine, forming a slurry. Further dewatering occurs in a hydroclone and a centrifuge, yielding a ‘wet cake’ with about 95% sodium bicarbonate. This wet cake is then dried to reduce moisture to 3% and screened to sort the final product into various grades.
Quality Control and Packaging
The purity of the baking soda is rigorously tested in laboratories. Once approved, the product is packaged, commonly in 55-pound bags, for distribution to commercial bakeries and industries that rely on large quantities of baking soda for their daily operations.
Vocabulary Table
| Term | Pronunciation | Definition | Used in sentence |
|---|---|---|---|
| crystalline | /krɪs.təl.aɪn/ | Having the structure and form of a crystal; composed of crystals. | baking soda is a white crystalline powder |
| acidic ingredients | /əˈsɪd.ɪk ɪnˈɡriː.di.ənts/ | Substances that have a sour taste and can react with bases. | it reacts with the acidic ingredients to form bubbles |
| sodium bicarbonate | /ˈsoʊ.di.əm baɪˈkɑːr.bə.neɪt/ | The chemical name for baking soda. | baking soda is also known as sodium bicarbonate |
| mineral deposits | /ˈmɪn.ər.əl dɪˈpɒz.ɪts/ | Naturally occurring accumulations of minerals in the Earth’s crust. | large mineral deposits exist in northwest colorado |
| brine | /braɪn/ | Water saturated or strongly impregnated with salt. | using hot brine |
| crystallize | /ˈkrɪs.tə.laɪz/ | To form or cause to form into crystals. | this causes the sodium bicarbonate brine to crystallize |
| slurry | /ˈslɜːr.i/ | A semi-liquid mixture, typically of fine particles suspended in water. | this creates a sodium bicarbonate slurry |
| hydroclone | /ˈhaɪ.droʊ.kloʊn/ | A device that uses centrifugal force to separate particles from a liquid. | they pump this mixture into a device called a hydroclone |
| centrifuge | /ˈsɛn.trɪ.fjuːdʒ/ | A machine that uses centrifugal force to separate substances. | this time in a centrifuge |
| wet cake | /wɛt keɪk/ | A semi-solid mass of material, typically a precipitate, from which liquid has been partially removed. | transforming the slurry into something called wet cake |
Vocabulary Flashcards
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Fill in the Blanks Exercise
1. Baking soda is a white powder.
2. When added to dough, it reacts with ingredients to form bubbles.
3. Baking soda is also known as bicarbonate.
4. Large mineral deposits exist in northwest .
5. Mine operators dissolved the sodium bicarbonate underground using hot .
6. This causes the sodium bicarbonate brine to .
7. The slurry goes for another spin this time in a .
8. The slurry is about 40% sodium bicarbonate at this .
9. The dry powder brings the moisture content down to percent.
10. The crystals are sorted by producing several different grades.
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