What do potato chips and concrete have in common?
Next time you crave a bag of salt- and vinegar-flavored potato chips, think about this: The ingredient responsible for that tasty flavoring also makes a great sealant for concrete.
Makes me wonder what it does to your stomach.
The chemical in question is sodium acetate. It's inexpensive and made by the industrial vat-full. And that's a good enough reason for researchers to look at its multiple-use potential, which is how concrete enters the picture.
Studies have been done showing that sodium acetate can soak into the naturally porous spaces in concrete and then harden when exposed to water. This blocks water from seeping in and causing damage. When the concrete is dry, the crystals can shrink back to normal size, allowing any trapped moisture to evaporate.
That's just one use they're considering. There are already other uses they have found for it. I found it disturbing to also learn that sodium acetate is used in heating pads, the product known as "hot ice," and also capable of neutralizing sulfuric acid waste.
All that, and it tastes good, too.
This is why you hear me constantly preach "whole foods" when you grocery shop. I can't think of any reasonable argument that supports turning your body into a life-long experiment with man-made chemicals.
