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[Impaler[WrG]]

I haven't found much use for Lye (currently only used for Soap and making Potash (but you can skip the Lye step entirely for Potash)).  Its more fun to have a number of usages for a product so I did a little research and came up with two additional uses.

1 - Cleaning, the most obvious usage, a Dwarf set to cleaning will take a Bucket and a unit of Lye and remove vomit and blood stains, the stains might still be removable without any lye but it would take much longer ware as with Lye its basically instant.

2 - Processing Fleece into Wool thread, historically this was one of the largest uses for Lye which is needed to wash away the natural oil from the fibers and is dates to the middle ages.  Of course this would require that sheep and sheep-shearing exist in the game (which is defiantly should).  It would be done at the farmers workshop.

[Zerox]

You also can make concrete with the assistance of  lye.

Perhaps cleaning should use soap, not lye? Maybe, if baths are implemented, soap is for baths, and lye is for blood?

[TheSpaceMan]

Some real world uses are food as well. Lutfisk among other things. (would roughly translate to lyefish)

[onodera]

Dwarves are hardcore, but not hardcore enough to eat lutefisk.

They could probably use lye in warfare (dump it and melt faces off goblins).

[JujuBubu]

One byproduct of lyemaking is glycerine ^^

[Decimator]

Glycerol is a chemical compound also commonly called glycerin or glycerine. It is a colorless, odorless, viscous liquid that is widely used in pharmaceutical formulations. Glycerol is a sugar alcohol, and is sweet-tasting and of low toxicity.

http://www.pioneerthinking.com/glycerin.html

The process of removing the glycerin from the soap is fairly complicated (and of course, there are a lot of variations on the theme). In the most simplest terms: you make soap out of fats and lye. The fats already contain glycerin as part of their chemical makeup (both animal and vegetable fats contain from 7% - 13% glycerine). When the fats and lye interact, soap is formed, and the glycerin is left out as a "byproduct". But, while it's chemically separate, it's still blended into the soap mix.

While a cold process soapmaker would simply pour into the molds at this stage, a commercial soapmaker will add salt. The salt causes the soap to curdle and float to the top. After skimming off the soap, they are left with glycerin (and lots of "impurities" like partially dissolved soap, extra salt, etc.). They then separate the glycerin out by distilling it. Finally, they de-colorize the glycerin by filtering it through charcoal, or by using some other bleaching method.

We have discovered a new alcohol.  We must have it!

[JujuBubu]

this could lead to dangerous missjudgements .. since I thought more in the way of this :

Nitroglycerin (NG), (US spelling) also known as nitroglycerine, (UK Spelling), trinitroglycerin, trinitroglycerine, 1,2,3-trinitroxypropane and glyceryl trinitrate, is a heavy, colorless, oily, explosive liquid obtained by nitrating glycerol. Since the 1860s, it has been used as an active ingredient in the manufacture of explosives, specifically dynamite, and as such is employed in the construction and demolition industries. Similarly, since the 1880s, it has been used by the military as an active ingredient, and a gellatinizer for nitrocellulose, in some solid propellants, such as Cordite and Ballistite. Nitroglycerin is also used medically as a vasodilator to treat heart conditions, such as angina and chronic heart failure.

but its liquid, has strong fumes, must be dwarven liquor ..

[Virex]

Glycerol is a chemical compound also commonly called glycerin or glycerine. It is a colorless, odorless, viscous liquid that is widely used in pharmaceutical formulations. Glycerol is a sugar alcohol, and is sweet-tasting and of low toxicity.

http://www.pioneerthinking.com/glycerin.html

The process of removing the glycerin from the soap is fairly complicated (and of course, there are a lot of variations on the theme). In the most simplest terms: you make soap out of fats and lye. The fats already contain glycerin as part of their chemical makeup (both animal and vegetable fats contain from 7% - 13% glycerine). When the fats and lye interact, soap is formed, and the glycerin is left out as a "byproduct". But, while it's chemically separate, it's still blended into the soap mix.

While a cold process soapmaker would simply pour into the molds at this stage, a commercial soapmaker will add salt. The salt causes the soap to curdle and float to the top. After skimming off the soap, they are left with glycerin (and lots of "impurities" like partially dissolved soap, extra salt, etc.). They then separate the glycerin out by distilling it. Finally, they de-colorize the glycerin by filtering it through charcoal, or by using some other bleaching method.

We have discovered a new alcohol.  We must have it!

Glycerol? I'd think you'd be better of drinking watter if you want to get drunk, since as far as I know, Glycerol has absolutely zilch effect on the nervous system, apart of being a potential source of energy. Come to think of it, would dwarves be imune to methanol poisoning? Drinking alchool made by a dabling brewer doesn't seem to affect them.

[LeoLeonardoIII]

"Bathtub mint julep, Urist?"

"Mm-hm!"

I think in the future we will see this sort of functionality. After all, dwarves + fire = fun, so dwarves + explosions = more fun!

Or maybe just faster fun.

I can't wait for uranium, arsenic, cyanide, nitro, etc.

[G-Flex]

1 - Cleaning, the most obvious usage, a Dwarf set to cleaning will take a Bucket and a unit of Lye and remove vomit and blood stains, the stains might still be removable without any lye but it would take much longer ware as with Lye its basically instant.

Soap (made using lye) would be a much better option, especially considering that dwarves can already make that.

[Techhead]

Hmm, nitroglycerin is made by nitrating glycerol, and glycerol is a common byproduct of soap making. We got a new use for those soap-makers now!!!

[Qmarx]

Hmm, nitroglycerin is made by nitrating glycerol, and glycerol is a common byproduct of soap making. We got a new use for those soap-makers now!!!

Well, the dwarves could easily make it with their level of technology?

How?  Glad you asked.  Go to here: http://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/etext05/8misl10h.htm and start reading from the first appearance of the word "saponifying "

Don't you love 19th century literature?

[Joseph Miles]

Once I saw a post about new booze, I just had to post here. FOR IT! More booze for the little dwarves!

[Impaler[WrG]]

Soap (made using lye) would be a much better option, especially considering that dwarves can already make that.

By that same logic they should just bathe in Lye, theirs a big difference of course because Lye is caustic and can clean surfaces but not skin (well not pleasantly).  Just think of the many caustic cleaning products you have around the house that you would use on a surface but never on your skin. Also using Lye saves a production step and a unit of Tallow.

[Othob Rithol]

Well, the dwarves could easily make it with their level of technology?

How?  Glad you asked.  Go to here: http://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/etext05/8misl10h.htm and start reading from the first appearance of the word "saponifying "

Don't you love 19th century literature?

The characters on the Mysterious Island are escaped Union Soldiers from the US Civil War. They arrived on the island via a hot air balloon. Later they will discover Captain Nemo and his Sodium/Mercury battery powered submarine...

Not the best example.

Whereas the means by which Cyrus Smith worked his chemistry are all possible at the DF technological level, it does not mean that the prerequisite knowledge is also present.

Nitroglycerin was in fact discovered in 1846.... just a "bit" out of period.