making pearlash

This meant the production of potassium carbonate - in its old Hungarian name: pearlash - which was necessary for making soap, glass and nitrate. Wooden ash was collected in so-called ash-houses, then ash was separated (lixivated) in tuns. The alkali was evaporated, it was boiled in iron cauldrons. The mass they got was heated and burnt in ovens (made for this special purpose) - if they wanted to use it in dry form. The Hungarian way of making pearlash was respected throughout Europe, as the heating ovens here could protect the pearlash from contamination, so it was suitable for usage in chemical and textile industry.

TI