What is alkali?
Alkali is never pure and rarely stable, is made up of a combination of elements, and is almost always reacting with elements. To break down the elements into chemical terms, we refer to the Periodic Chart of Elements. We start with hydrogen, then lithium, sodium, potassium, rubidium, cesium and francium. Francium is a radioactive element with a half-life of only twenty minutes. The other five are the very active alkali metals. Each element has electrons and molecules which are always eager to take part in chemical reactions with other elements. The two most important alkali metals are sodium and potassium. We find a hint of them in potassium carbonate and sodium carbonate. Sodium makes up 2.6% of the Earth’s crust and potassium makes up 2.5% – yet we never see them. They are always found in combination with other elements. Technical Bulletin #3 – The “Alkali Problem” in Concrete Walls and Subfloors The increased use of concrete subfloors in direct contact with the ground makes more imp
