Inside the Soda Can Did you know that soda cans have a thin, plastic liner inside? email to friend
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Can Ripper - The inside of an aluminum can is scratched with a file to remove the thin plastic coating. A solution of copper chloride is added and the aluminum is oxidized as the copper is reduced. After a few minutes, one can rip the can in half. This is a classic demonstration for many chemistry teachers. Due to the nature of the chemicals involved, this experiment cannot be performed at home.

Did you know... The main acid in most soda pop is carbonic acid. Some sodas still contain phosphoric acid (which eats away at your teeth!). Both acids are much weaker than hydrochloric acid, which is the natural stomach acid. A can of pop does not make stomach contents much more acidic. In fact flat soda pop is sometimes recommended as a remedy for nausea. It actually soothes stomach irritations.

Additional Info

The History of the Liner - Technicians at the American Can Company, even before prohibition, began toying with the idea of putting beer in a can. As early as 1929, Anheuser-Busch and Pabst experimented with the canning process. Schlitzeven proposed a can design that looked like a small barrel. The major problem the early researchers were confronted with, however, was not strength, but the can's liner. Several years and most of the early research funds were spent to solve this perplexing problem. Beer has a strong affinity for metal, causing precipitated salts and a foul taste. The brewers called the condition "metal turbidity". The American Can Company produced the flat or punch top can in 1934. The lining was made from a Union Carbide product called "Vinylite", a plastic product which was trademarked "keglined" on September 25, 1934.