Mingfan's effects and functions

Mingfan, also known as white alum, is a complex of potassium sulfate and aluminum sulfate. It is often used in the medical and food industries. Alum can be used as a water purifier and a fire extinguisher. In diet, it is often used as a leavening agent. For example, when frying dough sticks, baking soda is added to the flour, and then an appropriate amount of alum is added. At the same time, alum also has certain medicinal value, and it has a relatively strong astringent effect.

The efficacy and function of alum

1. Alum as a water purifier

When alum is dissolved in water, it ionizes to produce Al3+. Al3+ combines with OHˉ produced by the ionization of water to form aluminum hydroxide. The aluminum hydroxide colloid particles carry positive charges and meet the negatively charged mud and sand colloid particles, and the charges of each other are neutralized. The colloid particles that have lost their electric charge will quickly gather together, and the particles will become larger and larger until they finally sink to the bottom of the water. In this way, the water becomes clear and clean.

2. Alum as a fire extinguishing agent

The foam fire extinguisher contains about 1 mol/L of alum solution and about 1 mol/L of NaHCO3 (baking soda) solution (as well as foaming agent), and the volume ratio of the two solutions is about 11:2. The excess amount of alum is to make the baking soda in the fire extinguisher react fully and release enough carbon dioxide to achieve the purpose of extinguishing the fire.

3. Alum as a bulking agent

When frying dough sticks (cakes) or puffed foods, if you add baking soda and then alum to the flour, the same amount of baking soda will release twice as much carbon dioxide as baking soda alone. This way, the dough sticks (cakes) will puff up immediately in the hot oil pan, and you will get crispy and delicious dough sticks (cakes).

4. Alum as medicine

Alum is cold in nature, sour and astringent in taste, and has a strong astringent effect. Traditional Chinese medicine believes that alum has the effects of detoxifying and killing insects, expelling dampness and relieving itching, stopping bleeding and diarrhea, clearing away heat and eliminating phlegm. Research in recent years has confirmed that alum also has antibacterial and anti-trichomoniasis effects. Some Chinese medicine practitioners use alum to treat diseases such as hyperlipidemia, duodenal ulcers, and hemoptysis caused by tuberculosis.

5. Other functions

Alum can also be used to prepare aluminum salts, paints, tanning materials, mordants, papermaking, waterproofing agents, etc.

Alum, also known as white alum, is a refined product of alum stone. Alum is cold in nature, sour and astringent in taste, and has a strong astringent effect. Traditional Chinese medicine believes that alum has the effects of detoxifying and killing insects, drying dampness and relieving itching, stopping bleeding and diarrhea, clearing heat and eliminating phlegm. Research in recent years has confirmed that alum also has antibacterial and anti-trichomoniasis effects. Some Chinese medicine practitioners use alum to treat diseases such as hyperlipidemia, duodenal ulcers, and hemoptysis caused by tuberculosis.