A video is doing rounds on social media – Instagram, showcasing a man dissolving a can of soft drink, Coca-Cola using the drain cleaner. The video features a man who initially sands out the outer layer of the can before emptying most of the soft drink. He then submerges a portion of the can into a glass filled with heavy-duty drain cleaner. Within nearly two minutes of submerging a metal portion of the can completely dissolves, revealing a thin, transparent layer that resembles plastic.
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The video was posted by an Instagram User – Adithya Nataraj, who expressed anger over this and said that there is another reason to avoid these drinks as even though you are paying for the metal can but still you are drink from the plastic only.
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Explaining the reason behind this, Nataraj wrote in the comment section of the post that the soft drink cans are made from an aluminum alloy, while the drain cleaner used contains NaOH (Sodium Hydroxide).
He stated that when these substances interact, they undergo an exothermic reaction, producing heat, as evidenced by bubbles and fumes.
Nataraj further added that the drain cleaner (NaOH) specifically reacts with and dissolves the aluminum, leaving the plastic layer intact. This explains why NaOH is commonly stored in plastic containers.
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As per the article published on Medium, the aluminum cans are coated with a protective layer, typically made of polymer plastic. This coating acts as a barrier between the aluminum and the soda inside, preventing any potential reaction between the two materials. While manufacturers are aware of this common practice of lining cans, it may come as a surprise to end users.