Wednesday, May 23, 2012

Ingredients Of Glue

Most of us never wonder about the glue ingredients that give glue its sticky character. For sure, almost everyone of us has used some kind of an adhesive or a glue to stick something or the other. But, rarely do we think about glue ingredients, and what goes into making glue. Glue is basically a mix, made of natural or synthetic sources, that binds two surfaces together. The words 'glue' and 'adhesive', though seem to mean synonymous, have different origins. If made from natural sources it is called glue, and if made synthetically is known as adhesive. A glue can bind virtually any kind of material, but they prove their utility when binding thin sheets or layers. For glues to set or cure, they require an optimum temperature. Thermal and electrical conductivity of glue depends on their composition. Let us move on to take a look at glue ingredients.
Ingredients in Glue
Glues are divided as either natural or synthetic depending upon their food ingredients and characteristics. Let us take a look at each glue types one by one:
Natural Glue Ingredients
Ingredients for natural glues are derived from either mineral sources or biological sources such as animals; e.g. casein, or from vegetable sources like natural resins, starch (dextrin) etc.
There are three categories of substances that are called glues i.e. they do not have chemical contents. These three categories are bone glue, hide or skin glue, and fish glue. Technically, other glues are called adhesives, gum, or cement, although most of us tend to use these terms with a generic meaning. Compounds with adhering properties like epoxies, caulks, or sealants are mixed with special additives to impart them suitable properties according to their usage.
Historically, glue was invented when ancient tribes found out that bones, hides, skin and connective tissues of animals could be processed and collagen protein in them can be extracted. Collagen is a sticky protein and has useful adhesive properties. Even today, a huge chunk of glue made all over the world is animal glue, which is manufactured by a process similar to that was used in the past. These days, animal glue is made by soaking the hides in water to produce 'stock' which is then treated with lime to break down the hides. Lime is then separated and the residue is neutralized with a weak acid solution. At around 70 oC, the hides are heated in water. The glue liquor thus formed, is then separated and more water is added. The whole process is repeated with an increase in temperatures. The resultant glue liquor is dried into resin like chipped pellets.
Milk can also be a source, from which glue is manufactured. Casein, a milk solid and blood albumin can also be used to make glue. Dried cow blood serum has albumin, which is heated so as to coagulate it, so that it becomes insoluble in water.
Fish is another source of glue. Fish glue is made from heads, bones, and skin of fish, but it is too thin and is a weak adhesive. Primitive men discovered that air bladders of some fish could produce a much stronger glue that was white and odorless and was named ichthyocol.
Apart from animals, plants can also be used to produce glues. Such a type of a glue is called vegetable glue. This type of glue is water soluble and is made from starch, which is found in vegetables and grains. This segment of natural gum also includes, agar from mixtures in aquatic plants, algin which is deduced from seaweed, and gum arabic which is nothing but an extract of the acacia tree more commonly known as the gum tree. You can also try to learn how to make glue naturally at home.
Synthetic Glue Ingredients
Cyanoacrylate is the main ingredient of synthetic glue also known as superglue. It was discovered by Dr. Harry Coover in 1942, when he was working for Kodak Research Laboratories, towards development of an optically clear plastic for gunsights. Actually Coover first rejected cyanoacrylate because of its high sticky character.
But later he realized that cyanoacrylate was a useful and in 1958 it was marketed and packaged as superglue.
Industrial purpose synthetic glues are called epoxy adhesives. There are two basic components to which various modifying ingredients are added to enhance elasticity and improve there physical and mechanical properties. These additives usually include extenders, filling agents, curing accelerators and diluent. Here is a sample list of the ingredients used while manufacturing synthetic glue:
Low Molecular Weight Epoxy Resin (Modified), Molecular Weight 500; Aluminum powder; Amorphous silica; Sodium carbonate Na2 CO3.10H2O; Sodium chromate Na2CrO4.4H2O; Polyaminoamide (amine number 180-250).
Thus, there are many glue types made of different glue ingredients and it's important to get the right one suitable for your job. Meanwhile newer and more efficient glue are being manufactured every day. The versatility of glues has been proven and scientists are consistently working towards better glue chinafooding ingredients that will make its usage simple and reliable.

Tuesday, May 22, 2012

Ingredients Of Cheese

Cheese ingredients differ based on the type of cheese you are planning to make. Making cheese is actually the process by which water is separated from milk.
Making cheese is a craft which a number of people want to try. These days because of the explosion of information, people want to try making various things, which were previously not made at home. Making cheese is one such experiment. It is similar to what it was about home-brewing of liqueur a few years ago. Since information is available, it is not difficult to make cheese at home any more. It has in fact become as simple as baking bread at home. Cheese, like cottage cheese, can easily be made with the ingredients available in any regular functioning kitchen. However, if you want to make some advanced cheese, you will require additional equipment as well as raw material. Now let’s see what are the cheese ingredients.
Ingredients in Cheese
Ingredients For Making Cheese Commercially
Now let’s see what are the components of cheese, when it is commercially manufactured. Various types of cheese are manufactured commercially, and generally more food ingredients, and even equipment, is needed for the process. The four main ingredients used in the commercial making of cheese are:
Milk, Starter, Rennet, Salt Milk.
To make cheese the most important ingredient is milk. Any kind of milk including cow, goat, sheep, mare, camel or even buffalo milk can be used. If you are planning to make cheese at home, you can use the fresh cow milk you have access to. You can also make cheese using powdered skim milk as well. You may want to have more information on different types of cheese.
Rennet
Rennet is the other cheese ingredient. It is actually a curdling agent and it acts on the milk protein, which causes the milk to separate into solid curd and liquid whey. Traditionally, rennet was derived from calf’s stomach, however vegetarian rennet is also available. The quantity of the vegetarian rennet required to make cheese is much more as compared to the calf rennet. The quantity of rennet required also depends on the type of cheese to be made. To make soft cheese less rennet is required, whereas to make hard cheese more rennet is required.
Salt
After the rennet, salt is the next ingredient required to make cheese. Salt enhances the flavor of the cheese, it also acts as a preservative and it also helps to drain and firm the cheese. Usually salt is sprinkled on the curdled milk, before it is put into the molds. There are some herbs which can be added to the cheese. Herbs such as parsley, sage, black pepper, etc. are used for the same. The herbs used can either be fresh or dried. These herbs are added to the cheese at the salting phase. There are also some types of cheese which are marinated in beer or cider.
Starter
After the most important cheese ingredient, the next ingredient in the cheese making process is starter. Starter to cheese, is what yeast is to wine or beer. Cheese gets its characteristic flavor from this colony of microscopic organisms. This cheese starter is a bacterium, whereas yeast used in alcohol is a fungus. However, I would not want to say that fungus has no role to play in cheese making. The blue appearance on some cheese is the handy work of fungus.
Wax can also be used in some cases to bandage the cheese. Cheese can also be coated with wax. Wax is available in different colors. Coloring agents are also used by commercial cheese makers. It may not be required to make homemade cheese.
Ingredients For Making Cheese at Home
According to experts, it is recommended to start making cottage cheese when one toys with the idea of making cheese at home. Using these cheese ingredients, you will be able to make delicious cottage cheese, which will be fresh and can be used in cooking Italian dishes. There are just three cheese ingredients required to make this cheese. They are:
1 gallon of 2% milk
Half a cup of vinegar
1 teaspoon of salt
If you want to make the cheese more silky, you can consider adding fresh cream to it, after the milk has curdled and you have sprinkled salt on it.
Now that you know what are the cheese ingredients, are you all set to buy the required chinafooding ingredients to make cheese? Like bread and liqueur, making cheese at home is certainly possible. Happy Cheese Making!

Ingredients For Ezekiel Bread

Ezekiel bread ingredients are quite different from the ingredients of regular bread. So, what exactly is “Ezekiel bread”? Ezekiel is a priest mentioned in the Bible, who preached for almost 22 years sometime in the 6th century B.C. And Ezekiel bread, also referred as “Bible bread”, is a typical bread that was consumed by Ezekiel during his wilderness. This bread is mentioned in Ezekiel 4: 9, of the Bible, which goes like this, “Take also unto thee wheat, and barley, and beans, and lentils, and millet, and spelt, and put them in one vessel, and make bread of it”. It is said that, because of the typical ingredients of this bread, Ezekiel could survive in the wilderness. Wheat, barley, lentils and different types of beans are some of the main ingredients of Ezekiel bread. Before taking a look at the recipe, let us know what are the ingredients used to make this bread.
Sprouted wheat
Filtered water
Sprouted barley
Sprouted millet
Malted barley
Sprouted lentils
Sprouted soybeans
Sprouted spelt
Fresh yeast
Wheat gluten
Sea salt
Ezekiel Bread Recipe
Ingredients
Active dry yeast – 2 packages (.25 ounce)
Barley – 1 cup
Dry green lentils – 1 cup
Dry great Northern beans – 2 tablespoons
Dry kidney beans – 2 tablespoons
Dried Pinto beans – 2 tablespoons
Millet – 1 cup
Honey – 1 cup
Olive oil – 1 cup
Warm water – 4 cups
Spelt flour – 1.5 cups
Wheat berries – 2 cups
Salt – 2 tablespoons
Take a large mixing bowl and combine, yeast, water, olive oil and honey, in it. Leave the mixture for about 5 minutes. Then, combine all the beans and grains and mix them together. Grind this mixture with help of a flour mill. Add this freshly ground flour into the mixture of yeast and other food ingredients. Mix them together for about 10 minutes to attain a texture of bread batter. Now, take two, 9 x 5 inch, loaf pans and grease them with cooking spray. Pour the dough into these greased pans and keep them in a warm place for about an hour. Then preheat the oven to 350 degree Fahrenheit and bake the breads for about 50 minutes. Your Ezekiel bread is ready!
Nutritional Information
When it comes to Ezekiel bread nutrition facts, this bread is considered as a very healthy bread. It is said that the combination of all the ingredients provides proteins that are present in milk and eggs. It is observed that the proteins obtained from the plant sources contain almost the double amount of vitamins, minerals and other nutrients, than obtained from the protein from meat and other animal products. The calories in one slice of Ezekiel bread are very less and hence this bread can be consumed by weight watchers. Researches state that one slice of Ezekiel bread contains 3 grams of fiber and 4 grams of proteins. Since the bread is not made from refined flour, it contains very less amount of carbohydrates. Moreover, it does not contain cholesterol, sugar and saturated fats. It has very low glycemic index and hence, people suffering from diabetes can enjoy eating this bread with worrying about its health risks.
Though there are not many brands that manufacture Ezekiel bread, Ezekiel bread 4:9, is very popular among bread lovers. The reviews of this brand, state that this bread is a very good quality bread and is packed with several health benefits. This was a brief information on Ezekiel bread chinafooding ingredients and its nutrition. Now, when you know how to make Ezekiel bread, prepare this healthy Bible bread and have it for your meals. Happy Living!

What’s The Ingredients Of Laundry Detergent

We all are familiar with laundry detergents that help us to get rid of the spots and stains from our clothes. Though we don’t know much about the chemical composition of the laundry detergents, we prefer the leading brands that give maximum performance. Have you ever wondered what makes these laundry detergents, such a useful household product?
Some of the key food ingredients in a laundry detergent are optical brighteners, polyphosphates, sodium silicate etc. These ingredients are added in specific amounts based on some formula.
 It is the laundry detergent components that give these detergents the unique quality of removing tough stains. Owing to the phenomenal growth in chemical research, there have been diverse laundry detergent formulas. Even a slight change in the chemical composition effects the quality of the brand. Generally, the ingredients of a laundry are more or less the same, however, the varying mixture of these ingredients sets every brand apart.
Surfactants
The word surfactants stands for ‘surface active agent’ and is one of the most important ingredients in the entire chemical composition. The organic compounds, surfactants help to improve the quality of the laundry detergents, in a number of ways. The surfactants are basically composed of two parts: a hydrophilic part and hydrophobic part. Both the hydrophilic and hydrophobic part work in tandem to eliminate the stains from the clothing and utensils. The water hating surfactant molecules break the soil particles on the fabric and the water loving molecules suspend these soil particles and other impurities in wash water, thereby removing them. Basically, the surfactants have ionic (electrical charge) properties in the water and based on these, they are categorized in three types of surfactants viz:
Anionic Surfactants: Anionic surfactants carry negative charge and so react with the positively charged hardness ions. We must be aware of the hard water chemicals, compounds of magnesium and calcium; the anionic surfactants react with these oppositely charge hardness ions and neutralize them.
Nonionic Surfactants: Since, the nonionic surfactants are devoid of charges, they do not ionize in the solutions. These surfactants help in the removal of oily type soils. By the process of emulsification, nonionic surfactants remove tough oily type soils.
Cationic Surfactants: As the name suggests, these surfactants contain positive charge in water and so do not react with the ions that are positively charged hardness ions. They are primarily used in fabric conditioning detergents and are effective when combined with proper ratio of non-ionic surfactants.
Some other Laundry Detergent Ingredients
Besides the surfactants, there are various other ingredients, that are as follows.
1. Builders are chemicals like polyphospate, sodium carbonate or sodium silicate and aluminosilicate that are helpful in improving the quality of the chemical ingredients. Besides these benefits, they impart alkalinity to the solution, that helps in the cleaning purposes.
2. Sodium silicate, acts as a corrosion inhibitor and prevents washer parts from corrosion.
3. Optical brighteners are chemical compounds that convert ultra violet light wavelengths to visible light and this gives us the impression that washed clothes appear whiter.
4. Fragrances provide unique odor to the laundry detergents, besides subsiding the hard smell of the chemicals used in the detergents.
5. Colorants are the chemicals that act as special additive to the laundry detergents.
6. Sodium sulfate provides the crisp flowing nature to the powdered form of detergents.
7. Enzymes help in breaking complex soils and this helps in the removal of blood stains and other complex stains.
8. Few additives like Mono Ethanol Amine (alcohol) lower the freezing point of detergents and makes them easier to be used in low temperatures areas.
These were some of the commonly used laundry detergent chinafooding ingredients. Hope, by now you must have got some idea, as what makes these detergents lethal for stains.

Substitutes For Cooking

There are substitutes for spices, there are substitutes for sauces. There are substitutes for bakery and dairy products. Gosh, there are alternatives for so many things in cooking.
Nothing can be substituted for; some say. But that doesn’t seem to be true in case of cooking and eating. “If not this, then that”, is the general human tendency there. We try to find substitutes for everything in life, although somewhere at the back of our minds, we know that’s not really possible. Substituting everything in life is impossible and so be it!
But, when it comes to food, there are substitutes for almost every food ingredient. But there is one thing that cannot be substituted for, it’s the taste. Why do similar recipes made by different people have different tastes? It is because the taste of a recipe does not depend only on its ingredients and method of preparation. It also depends on who cooks it. It’s not just the ingredients that go into a recipe and give it the taste. And if ‘only’ they did, mother’s recipes wouldn’t taste different! When mom prepares food, perhaps her love sneaks into the recipe and adds to the ingredients! And that is why nothing can substitute for the flavor of something that’s mom-made. There can be substitutes for ingredients but there’s no substitute for the taste.
Why recipe substitutions? We need them when certain ingredients are unavailable at home or in the market. When we forget to buy the stuff we need, that is when we need to get hold of something that is handy. Using margarine as a substitute for butter and vice versa is a common example of the use of substitutes in cooking. Vegetable oil and vegetable shortening can substitute each other; grape juice can substitute wine. It’s common sense to use foods of similar flavor as alternatives for one another. Obviously, you won’t like the substitutes to bring about a radical change to how your recipe tastes. Or you will find yourself finding a substitute for what you have cooked!
Cooking is an art, for some, a hobby, a stress buster. I am sure you wouldn’t want to alter the taste of what you are planning to prepare, just because you are using substitutes. The use of substitutes in cooking is an adjustment with the availability of foodstuffs. It’s definitely not a compromise with the taste. So, choose the substitutes right and go for them only if you don’t have the originals at hand. Mostly, when you are short of time to buy the ingredients or when you don’t have them in the required quantities, you need to opt for their substitutes. Here is a list of the different substitutes in cooking. It will help you find the right alternatives in cooking and still retain the near-original flavor of the dish. With this list handy, you won’t have to cook up stories of the unavailability of ingredients. You will be able to cook; if not with the actual ingredients, but definitely with their readily available substitutes!
Here we give you tables for ingredients falling under different categories. Each table gives you a list of recipe ingredients along with their substitutes. In some cases, the substitute is the one most commonly used; in some cases, it’s one of the many that are used. There can be many alternatives for a given ingredient. For other alternatives apart from the ones given in the table, you can refer to the ‘also see’ column and start planning what to cook next and how; with the actual ingredients or their substitutes? Whichever way you choose, be happy while you cook; it will reflect in the recipe. That’s another thing that can’t be substituted for.
Substitutes in Baking
Given here is a substitutes list for ingredients that often get into the oven or the microwave and come out baked and delicious. Take for example cakes and bread recipes, that most of us love to eat. Can you imagine anything substituting for bread flour? Do you think there can be an egg substitute in cake? Well, if you don’t, you are wrong. There are alternatives for so many things in baking. Read on to find out.
Food Item Substitute(s) Also See
a. Egg Tofu Egg Substitute in Baking
b. Sugar maple syrup, honey, molasses Sugar Substitutes for Baking
c. Cocoa carob powder Cocoa Powder Substitute
d. Kirsch Cherry syrup Kirsch Substitute in Baking
e. Oil in Baking apple sauce, butter Oil Substitute in Baking
f. Baking Powder baking soda with cream of tartar, buttermilk or lime juice Baking Powder Substitute
g. Baking Soda baking powder Baking Soda Substitute
h. Cream of Tartar baking powder Cream of Tartar Substitute
i. Shortening butter, margarine or oil Shortening Substitute
j. Cake Flour all-purpose flour with cornstarch or pastry flour Cake Flour Substitute
k. Bread Flour all-purpose flour Bread Flour Substitute
l. Self Rising Flour all-purpose flour, baking powder and salt Self Rising Flour Substitute
Substitutes for Milk and Milk Products
Condense it, it’s tastier; evaporate it, it can still be used; powder it, it’s still not useless; extract all its fat or make it sour; process it in the way you like; its usability won’t diminish at all. Well, I am talking about milk! Milk in all its forms and their substitutes…that’s what the following table gives you. Take a look.
Food Item Substitute(s) Also See
a. Milk plant milk, grain milk Milk Substitute
b. Evaporated Milk dry milk and water, soy milk or fresh milk Evaporated Milk Substitute
c. Condensed Milk mixture of dry milk, boiling water and butter, with sweetener added Condensed Milk Substitute
d. Powdered Milk regular milk or coconut milk Powdered Milk Substitute
e. Heavy Cream a mixture of milk and unsalted butter Heavy Cream Substitute
f. Sour Cream butter added to sour milk of buttermilk Sour Cream Substitute
g. Butter margarine or olive oil Butter Substitute
h. Buttermilk yogurt or cream of tartar added to plain milk Buttermilk Substitute
Substituting for Sauces
Sauce, derived from the Latin word salsus, which means salted, is an important element of every cuisine. Be it a French food recipe or a pasta from the Italian cuisine; be it Chinese, Peruvian, Korean or British, sauces are a part of every kind of cooking. They are a must-haves for the saucy flavor they render to recipes. But what if the sauce is not available with you every time you need it? The simple solution is to opt for its substitute. Here is the table of substitutes for some of these commonly used sauces.
Food Item Substitute(s) Also See
Oyster Sauce soy sauce or fish sauce Oyster Sauce Substitute
Soy Sauce concoction of garlic vinegar, onion powder, ground ginger and blackstrap Soy Sauce Substitute
Tomato Sauce tomato paste or tomato juice Tomato Sauce Substitute
Hoisin Sauce a paste of prunes and sherry, soy sauce and garlic added Hoisin Sauce Substitute
Worcestershire Sauce steak sauce or soy sauce Worcestershire Sauce Substitute
Substitutes for Food Additives: Spices, Herbs, Sweeteners
The table that follows enlists the substitutes of ingredients that spice up food – the herbs and spices and of ingredients that sweeten food recipes – yes, the sweeteners; all of which are categorized as food additives as they make a value addition to the taste of food.
Food Item Substitute(s) Also See
a. Anise Seed star anise seeds or fennel seeds Anise Seed Substitute
b. Bay Leaf thyme or ground basil Bay Leaf Substitute
c. Cardamom mixture of nutmeg, cinnamon and cloves or brown cardamom(lesser expensive substitute) Cardamom Substitute
d. Fennel celery Fennel Substitute
e. Celery Seed celery salt or dill seed Celery Seed Substitute
f. Celery Salt ground celery seeds Celery Salt Substitute
g. Cumin caraway or anise seeds Cumin Seeds Substitute
h. Coriander Seeds a mixture of caraway, cumin and fennel seeds Coriander Seeds Substitute
i. Galangal ginger root Galangal Substitute
j. Nutmeg cinnamon or mace Nutmeg Substitute
k. Paprika cayenne pepper, red pepper or chili powder Paprika Substitute
l. Vegetable Oil applesauce, coconut oil Vegetable Oil Substitute
m. Cooking Oil applesauce Cooking Oil Substitute
n. Sesame Oil peanut oil or toasted sesame seeds; light sesame oil for the dark one Sesame Oil Substitute
o. Canola Oil vegetable oil, olive oil Canola Oil Substitute
p. Safflower Oil canola oil, soybean oil Safflower Oil Substitute
q. Grape seed Oil safflower oil, sunflower oil Grape seed Oil Substitute
r. Xanthan Gum guar gum Xanthan Gum Substitute
s. White Wine Vinegar white vinegar or cider vinegar White Wine Vinegar Substitute
t. Powdered Sugar blended mixture of granulated sugar and cornstarch or blended plain sugar Powdered Sugar Substitute
u. Brown Sugar mixture of granulated sugar and molasses Brown Sugar Substitute
v. Corn Syrup honey or molasses Corn Syrup Substitute
w. Molasses corn syrup, brown sugar Molasses Substitute
x. Agave Nectar sugar syrup, honey, maple syrup Agave Nectar Substitute
y. Vanilla Extract maple syrup, almond extract, Fiori di sicilia extract or vanilla essence Vanilla Extract Substitute
z. Vanilla Bean vanilla extract Vanilla Bean Substitute
Other Foods and their Substitutes
There’s always this ‘others’ category in everything. Something that does not belong to any particular foodchem category is conveniently made a part of ‘others’. The table below enlists substitutes for all those food items that could not be made to belong to any of the aforementioned categories. But they are important in their own right.
Food Item Substitute(s) Also See
a. Dry White Wine dry white vermouth, apple cider vinegar(non-alcoholic) -
b. Coconut Milk combination of hot water or milk and coconut cream Coconut Milk Substitute
c. Cornstarch rice flour, arrowroot, potato flour or all-purpose flour(double the qnty) Cornstarch Substitute
d. Tapioca Flour arrowroot powder Tapioca Flour Substitute
e. Cocoa Powder baking soda added to unsweetened chocolate Cocoa Powder Substitute
f. Cream Cheese French Neufchatel, ricotta cheese or fat-free yogurt Cream Cheese Substitute
Remember, substitutes in cooking serve the right purpose only when you know what not to substitute for.

Difference Between Synthetic Oil and Regular Oil

Synthetic oil vs. regular oil is a complicated debate and several different opinions and facts that have been discussed by engineers. Today, a significant amount of confusion still exists regarding the issue, what is better, synthetic or mineral. Fact is, this debate does not have any concrete conclusions.
If you walk into the nearest mechanic’s garage, you will notice that there are several different types of lubricants that are used by mechanics and engineers to minimize friction that is caused, while running automobiles. There are several kinds of lubricants that are used to aid the functioning of components that range from the suspension systems of your automobile to the pistons in the engine. In short, almost all the moving components in your vehicle require lubrication to keep it in good shape.
Motor Oil: Synthetic and Mineral
Motor oil, essentially lubricates the parts which are located inside the engine blocks. This oil acts as a lubricant to minimize the moving parts, a coolant (to some extent) and a protective cover of the metallic moving parts. In short motor oil goes into the engine block to aid its functioning and also reduce the friction.
Any motor oil, may it be synthetic or mineral (regular), consists of two key components:
a. Base Stock: The base stock is principally the oils which consist of the major volume of the motor oil. Base stocks can be of 3 types:
Competently conventional/regular base stocks are derived from crude oil and have natural mineral oil in them. This usually accounts for the existence of uneven and odd sized molecules.
There are some stocks which are a combination of synthetic and regular stocks.
Synthetic base stocks are the ones which are composed artificially, by using a number of chemicals which are synthesized.
b. Additives:  Food Additives are the different chemicals within the motor oils, which help oil and the engine to function properly. Additives usually include:
Anti-wear agents
Anti-foam agents
Anti-rust and corrosion agents
Oxidation Inhibitors
Extreme Pressure Additives
Viscosity Index Improver
Friction Modifiers
Pour Point Depressants
There are, of course, certain differences in the compositions of different manufacturers. The following is a table showing the different types of oil and their ‘Lubricant Viscosity Grades’, by the Society of Automobile Engineers.
Fully Synthetic Oils Semi-synthetic/Mixed/Semi-regular Fully Regular/Mineral Oils
0W-30
0W-40
5W-40
 5W-30
10W-40
15W-40
 10W-40
15W-40

(*note: The number before the ‘W’ states the viscosity at low/cold temperatures and the number after the W states the viscosity at high/hot temperatures, the numbers are largely comparative)
Which One is Better?
Both, synthetic oil as well as regular oil are basically used in the piston block of the car’s engine. The piston block is cylindrical in shape and holds the pistons within it. The piston of your car keeps on moving up and down to keep the automobile running. The synthetic or the conventional motor oil forms a layer of molecules over the inner surfaces of piston blocks, thus smoothing out the motion of the pistons. There are two basic advantages of using these oils as lubricants in the engine. The first advantage is that the pistons get lubricated and there is ease of motion. The second advantage is that the heat that is formed within the engine also gets substantially reduced, thereby increasing the life of the engine and the quality of firing. Another genuine advantage of using lubricating oil in the engine is that it drastically boosts the fuel economy of the automobile.
You must be wondering when choosing between synthetic oil vs. regular conventional oil for motor which would prove to be beneficial. Before we actually look at the comparison, let us have a look at some of the proprieties and important characteristics of synthetic motor oil and conventional motor oil.
There are many characteristics and merits, as well as demerits of both the oils.
1. Synthetic Oil
Synthetic oil, on the other hand, is man-made and is manufactured by the chemical industry using different processes. Unlike the nonuniform structure of the molecules in the conventional motor oil, the molecules of the synthetic oil are uniform to the extent of being almost identical to one another. This type of molecular structure is often considered as a very good merit or characteristic of any lubricant.
As mentioned above, the debate on synthetic motor oil vs. regular oil does not have any kind of concrete conclusion. However, it is worth comparing the many merits and demerits of both the types of oils.
2. Regular Oil
The boom in the automobile industry that occurred just before the World War I, saw many changes in the auto parts, lubricants and fuels that were used in the automobiles. In these initial stages of development, regular oil was used as a lubricant for the piston and piston blocks. The constant changes and improvisations in the conventional or regular oil has shown many proven advantages in using it as a lubricant.
Conventional lubrication oil which is also known as mineral oil, is a product of the process of fractional distillation, which is used to break down petroleum into various products. In case of conventional oil, the molecular structuring is rather uneven and yet possess a quality of high lubrication. The advantage of conventional motor oil is that it is cheaper than synthetic oil and is available almost universally.
3. When to Use What
As we know, conventional motor oil that is derived from crude oil has an uneven molecular structure. This makes it suitable for new engines. The internal surfaces of the new engine, though shaped and forged very beautifully are not hundred percent accurate. Due to this, the inner surface of the piston block and the surface of the piston itself becomes extremely accurate, as the excess and inaccurate points (which are technically known faults) on the surfaces get shredded off as a result of the friction and heat. The uneven molecules aid this evening out of the auto components. There are, however, two drawbacks of this type of oil. The first drawback is that the regular oil gets oxidized at a very high temperature, which results into creation of pollutants. In same way, at very low temperatures, formation of sludge occurs which renders the oil, useless.
The synthetic oil, on the other hand, does not have any type of drawback, when it comes to extreme temperatures and air pollution. This type of oil is gives very good results, when it is used for car engines that are a few years old. The synthetic oil is extremely instrumental, when it comes to preservation of the engine components and ensures excellent running of the engine. The only drawback is that the synthetic oil, in present day market, is rather costly. To know more about this debate, read more on: synthetic oil vs. mineral oil.
Some Essential Tips
If you are planning to change the type of motor oil you choose, you can take a look at the following tips:
1. If your car is pretty old and you have been using it for quite a long time, then it is recommended that you do not suddenly shift from regular to synthetic as there is a possibility, that the synthetic oil which is very, very fine in nature may leak through the well used components of the engine block.
2. Your car ,manual would mention the brand and grade of the oil which suits the engine best. Hence it is best to use the said oil and its grade.
3. Climate and temperature where you live affects the viscosity of oil. If you live in a place where you experience extreme climates and temperatures, then get in touch with the company or the car’s dealer as he will recommend you the appropriate grade.
4. Often engineers recommend the use of regular/mineral oil when an automobile is newly purchased, till the engines are properly run in, following which the user can switch to synthetic oil. Now it is very important, that one clarifies two points, one for how much time should the mineral oil be used, and two, should the change be sudden or should one go to semi-synthetic oil first and then switch to completely synthetic oil.
5. If possible, it is also advisable that one uses the brand which is recommended by the automobile manufacturer.
As a conclusion it can be said that, to reduce the car engine problems, mineral oil should be used in the initial periods of the life of the engine, and for the later on years, it would be good to use the synthetic oil foodchem. Well, I hope this short debate on synthetic oil vs. regular oil provides some useful information!

Monday, May 21, 2012

Ingredients Of Flu Shot

Flu shots have been the most sought after vaccinations against the seasonal and annual flu infections. However, the increasing number of allergic cases post flu shot injections, have raised serious questions regarding the effectiveness of these injections. Some of the chemicals used in flu shot are highly toxic in nature and cause allergic reactions in many people.
Researchers and medical experts have come out with results that highlight the use of chemicals as ingredients, that have been harmful for the health of many people. Light fever, swelling and soreness at the point of injection and body aches are some of the common flu shot side effects. What are the ingredients in a flu shot that usually cause side effects in many people?
Mercury, Thimerosal and Aluminum
Mercury and thimerosal are the two dangerous ingredients in a flu shot. Unfortunately, there is hardly any awareness about the toxicity and dangerous consequences of these chemicals among the people who choose to go for it. Mercury is extremely harmful for the brain and nervous system. Mercury in vaccines have been related to the rising levels of autism in children in the US, since the last two decades. Besides these, mercury can also cause auto-immune diseases.
Dead Influenza Viruses
There are various flu viruses that can affect us, however, the pharmaceutical companies choose three main viruses as the annual flu shot food ingredients. These viruses are the weak viruses or the disabled bacteria that are supposed to trigger the body’s immune response system. The viruses are chosen by the medical experts at the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) who make an intelligent guess (based on reports and data) as to which viruses are to strike that particular year. The viruses are prepared in animal proteins, like pig blood, chicken embryo, tissues of monkey and rabbit body parts etc. When injected into the body, many people have found to have developed extreme allergic reactions to these proteins, especially people and kids who are allergic to chicken eggs.
The health authorities in the USA have been claiming that the mercury content in flu shot injections is absolutely harmless. However, it is to be understood that even small amounts of mercury can be harmful for infants. Moreover, the increasing number of side effects of flu shot and rising cases of autism in children have been given no plausible explanations. Thimerosal is a type of mercury disinfectant that is added as a preservative in the flu shot injections. According to reports, thimerosal has been banned in many states as it caused allergies to children and pregnant women.
Aluminum and thimerosal have also been linked to Alzheimer’s disease in many people. According to experts and researchers, it has been found that people who took 5 to 6 consecutive vaccinations of influenza containing aluminum, during a 10 year period, were at higher risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease than the people who just took one or two shots.
Some Other Flu Shot Ingredients
Besides the above mentioned ingredients of a flu shot, there are various other mercury and thimerosal-free ingredients that are harmful for the body. For instance, ethylene glycol and formaldehyde. While ethylene glycol is used as an antifreeze, formaldehyde is used as a preservative. Ethylene glycol affects the central nervous system and if ingested in large doses, it can be life-threatening. Formaldehyde is believed to be a cancer triggering agent and few countries have banned its use in cosmetics. Phenol is another flu shot ingredient that was initially used as a disinfectant, but is now known to cause skin allergies. Antibiotics that are used as flu shot ingredients, like streptomycin, have been causing allergies in numerous people too.
These are some of chinafooding ingredients whose presence in flu shots has become controversial in the US. With extensive research other flu vaccines should be developed that are free of side effects and also help people in their treatment against flu infections. The government health authorities must consider the ill effects of these vaccinations and come up with some better flu shot vaccinations, that prove to be a source of remedy rather than the source of more complications for the infected population.