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PREPARATION OF SOAP

Experiments
Aim: To prepare soap by cold process.

REQUIREMENTS:

 Oil

 Sodium Hydroxide (NaOH)

 Sodium Chloride (NaCl)

 Sodium Carbonate Na2CO3

 China Dish

Basic Principles Involved


 Soaps are alkali salts of higher fatty acids.

 Soap is prepared by the action of an alkali like NaOH on vegetable oil.

 The reaction is called Saponification.

 NaCl is added to the reaction.

 Mixture causes the precipitation of soap.

 To make soap hard, some filter e.g. Sodium carbonate or sodium silicate is added to it.

PROCEDURE
 We took about 15 ml of vegetable oil in a beaker.

 After pouring 15 ml of water in a beaker add 6 gm of NaOH and stir well for the formation of
solvent.

 Add above prepared solution to vegetable oil.

 After stirring the mixture thoroughly it becomes thick paste.

 Add sodium chloride and sodium carbonate to the paste of soap and stir.

 Caste the paste on china dish for desired shape.

PRECAUTIONS
 NaOH should be handled with care.

 The mixture of oil and alkali should be stirred thoroughly.

 The soap thus formed is not pure.Therefore it should not be used in daily life.

THEORY OF SOAPS

To understand more about soaps, it is necessary to have an overview of Surface Tension -basic property
of water and surface chemistry.

Water, the liquid commonly used for cleaning, has a property called Surface Tension. In the body of the
water, each molecule is surrounded and attracted by other water molecules. However, at the surface,
water molecule only on the water side surrounds those water molecules.

A tension is created as water molecules at the surface are pulled into the body of water. This tension
causes the water to bead up on the surfaces which slows wetting of the surface and inhibits the cleaning
process. In the cleaning process the surface tension must be reduced so that the water can spread and
wet the surfaces. Chemicals that are able to do this efficiently are called surface active agents, or
"Surfactants”. They are said to make water "wetter".

Surfacants perform other important functions in cleaning, loosening, emulsifying and holding soil in
suspension until it can be rinsed away. Surfacants also provide alkalinity and are useful in removing
acidic soils.

Surfactants are classified by their ionic properties in water:

1. Anionic (negative charge)

2. Nonionic (having no charge)

3. Cationic (positive charge)

4. Amphoteric (either +ve or -ve charge)


SOAPS, FATS AND OILS
Soaps are water-soluble sodium or potassium salts of fatty acid. They are made from fats and oils by
treating them with a strong alkali like NaOH.

The fats are oils used in soap making come from animal or plant resources. Each fat or oil is made up of
a distinctive mixture of several distinct triglycerides. In a triglyceride molecule, 3 fatty acid molecules are
attached to 1 molecule of glycerin and each type consists of its own particular combination of fatty acids.

Fatty acids are the components of fats and oils that are used in soap making. They are weak acids
composed of two parts- a carboxylic acid group, and a hydrocarbon group. Generally it is made up of a
long straight chain of carbon atoms each carrying 2 hydrogen atoms.

ALKALI: An alkali is a soluble salt of an alkali metal like sodium or potassium. The common alkalis used in
soap making are-

 Sodium Hydroxide (NaOH) - Caustic soda

 Potassium Hydroxide (KOH)- Caustic potash

HOW SOAPS ARE MADE

"Saponification" of fats and oils is the most widely used soap making process. This method involves
heating fats and oils and reacting them with a liquid alkali to produce soap and water plus glycerin.

GLYCERYL ESTER OR STEARIC ACID(FAT) + ALKALI > SODIUM STEARATE + GLYCEROL


Other major soap making process is neutralization of fatty acids with an alkali. Fats and oils are
hydrolyzed (split) with a high pressure steam to yield crude fatty acids and glycerin. The fatty acids are
then purified by distillation and neutralization with an alkali to produce soap and water.

SAFETY
A commitment to safety is the top priority from the time a company begins working on a new product
and continues as long as the product is in the market.

To determine the safety of a cleaning product ingredient, industry scientists evaluate the toxicity of the
ingredient, which is generally defined as any harmful effect of a chemical on a living organism. Since all
chemicals including water are toxic under certain conditions of exposure, scientist must consider factors
like duration and frequency of exposure to the ingredient; concentration of the ingredient at the time of
exposure; routine and manner in which exposure occurs e.g. eyes, skin or ingestion. Scientist evaluate
the safety of the product to determine if it is safe for consumers and the environment.

Toxicologists are concerned with the effects of 2 types of exposure: 'INTENDED and 'UNINTENDED'.

Intended exposures occur with the use of a cleansing product according to directions. Unintended
exposures can result from misuse, through improper storage or by contact, such as when a liquid
detergent is accidently splashed into the eye.

BIBLIOGRAPHY
 www.stericycle.com

 www.countryscent.com

 www.soapgateway.com

 www.wikipedia.org

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