English

Soap

Advertisements

Topics

  • Introduction
  • Types of Soaps
  • Synthetic Detergents
  • Experiment

Introduction:

Soap is a chemical compound that forms as a salt of fatty acids or other carboxylic acids. It is widely used for cleaning, lubricating, and a variety of other applications. In households, soaps, particularly toilet soaps, serve as surfactants for washing, bathing, and general cleaning tasks. In industrial contexts, soaps are utilised as thickeners, emulsifiers, components in lubricants, and even as catalysts in certain chemical processes.

  • Soap is one of the earliest man-made detergents, invented around 2000 years ago in the West. Old method of making soap: People used animal fat and wood ash to prepare it. Today, we have many types of soaps.
  • Soaps work effectively by breaking down grease and dirt due to their surfactant properties, which allow them to interact with both water and oil.
  • They are biodegradable and environmentally friendly compared to synthetic detergents. Additionally, soaps can be tailored for specialised uses, such as medicated soaps for skincare or industrial soaps designed for heavy-duty cleaning.

Types of Soaps:

Feature Hard Soap Soft Soap
Raw Material Low-grade fats and oils High-grade fats and oils
Use Washing clothes Bathing and skincare
Composition Sodium salts of fatty acids Potassium salts of fatty acids
Texture Hard and solid Soft and smooth
Skin Effect Not suitable for skin Gentle on skin
pH Level Higher pH for effective grease removal Close to skin’s natural pH
Texture Hard and solid Soft and smooth
Effect in Hard Water Forms scum and loses cleaning power Works better on skin with soft water

 

Synthetic Detergents:

Synthetic detergents are cleaning agents made through chemical processes. They are different from soaps and are commonly used today because they work well even in hard water.

  • Raw materials such as fats or kerosene are processed chemically to create detergent molecules.
  • These detergents contain long structures that help remove dirt and grease effectively.
  • To improve their performance, manufacturers add perfumes (for fragrance), dyes (for colour), germicides (to kill bacteria), moisturisers (to soften the skin), anti-foaming agents (to reduce excess foam), alcohol and fine sand (for different cleaning needs).

Experiment

1. Aim: To prepare soap by combining fat (coconut oil) and alkali (sodium hydroxide).

2. Requirements: 15 g sodium hydroxide (NaOH), 60 ml coconut oil, 15 g salt, perfume, water, beaker, glass rod, tripod, wire gauze, burner, and mould.

3. Procedure

  • Prepare Sodium Hydroxide Solution: dissolve 15 g of sodium hydroxide in 50 ml of water.
  • Mix the oil and alkali: Pour 60 ml of coconut oil into a beaker. Slowly add the sodium hydroxide solution to the oil while stirring continuously with a glass rod.
  • Heat the mixture: Heat the mixture on a burner for 10-12 minutes while stirring continuously, ensuring it does not boil over.
  • Add Salt Solution: dissolve 15 g salt in 200 ml water. Add the salt solution to the mixture and stir well.
  • Soap Formation: Soap will float on the water and gradually thicken. Once thickened, remove the soap, add perfume, and shape it using a mould.

4. Conclusion: In this experiment, fat (from coconut oil) reacts with alkali (sodium hydroxide) to form soap, which is a sodium salt of fatty acids. Soap floats on water and solidifies upon cooling, forming a usable soap bar.

 
Making soap
If you would like to contribute notes or other learning material, please submit them using the button below.

Video Tutorials

We have provided more than 1 series of video tutorials for some topics to help you get a better understanding of the topic.

Series 1


Series 2


Shaalaa.com | Carbon and Compounds part 27 (Soap)

Shaalaa.com


Next video


Shaalaa.com


Carbon and Compounds part 27 (Soap) [00:12:38]
S
Advertisements
Share
Notifications

Englishहिंदीमराठी


      Forgot password?
Use app×