Nixtamalization is a traditional process used in the Americas to chemically and physically process corn. Let this page act as a howto.
Sodium hydroxide, lye or caustic soda: typically add about 10grams to 250 grams of corn with 2 cups water, bring to the boil for 15 minutes in a stainless steel pan. Red/orange matter will leach from corn into surrounding liquid, and the liquid will gel, allow to cool, and ideally transfer to non-metallic pot with slight amount of water and 5 gram soda top-up. At this stage thick goo is seen, in one experiment the corn is wahed after 1.5 hours, in another it is left for a day, 12 hours.