In article ,
Cydrome Leader wrote:

I'm still not sure what the white crud itself is- maybe the goo that keeps
the stuff slimy?

Naval Jelly and similar are about 1/3 phosphoric acid, dissolved in
water, with a percent or so of thickener (the N.J. MSDS says
"polysaccharide, proprietary" - might be something like a xanthan
gum?).

Phosphoric acid itself is a white / crystalline solid at room
temperature, melting to a viscous liquid at roughly body temperature.

Considering the concentrations involved, I'd guess that the "white
crud" or "lard" is mostly phosphoric acid, left behind when the water
evaporated. You could be seeing the polysaccharide gelling agent as
well but there isn't all that much of it by volume.

Try warming the crudded object gently to somewhat above body
temperature... if the crud turns to a clear liquid, this would suggest
that it's the phosphoric acid.

--
Dave Platt AE6EO
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