Soap and Dtergenets

C17H35COONa – sodium stearate
Palmitic acid - C15H31COONa- Sodium palmitate

Oleic acid - C17H33COONa – Sodium oleate
GLYCEROL
Soaps:
Soap is a sodium salt or potassium salt of long chain fatty acids having
cleansing action in water. They are using as cleansing agents to remove dirt,
oil from the skin and clothes.
Examples:
Sodium stearate, sodium oleate and sodium palmitate formed using stearic
acid oleic acid and palmitic acid.
Preparation of soap in laboratory:

Animal fat or vegetable oil act as glyceride or glyceryl ester. And sodium
hydroxide and potassium hydroxide act as bases.
Take about 30 ml of vegetable oil in a bea ker. Then add 60 ml of 20%

sodium hydroxide solution to it.
This mixture is heated slowly till it boils. After the mixture has boiled for
five to ten minutes add 5grams of sodium chloride in order to separate soap
from the solution. Allow the solution to cool. The creamy layer floating on top
of the solution is the soap.
Thus soap is prepared by hydrolysing fat or oil with bases such as sodium
hydroxide or potassium hydroxide. This process of soap preparation is known
as saponification
Generally soaps are prepared by heating animal fat or oil with alkalies like
sodium hydroxide or potassium hydroxide. This is saponification reaction.
Fat or Oil + Alkali → Soap + Glycerol
Commercial preparation of soap:

It involves mixture of oil or fat and a strong solution of sodium hydroxide is
boiled in an iron tank which leads to the formation of a sodium salt of fatty
acid or soap and glycerol.
Once the soap is formed, it is separated with the help of sodium chloride.
Sodium chloride also reduces the solubility of soap. Since the soap is lighter,
it floats like cream on the solution.
It is separated from the solution, suitable chemicals are added for colour and
odour and then it is cast into moulds.
When the soap cools and solidifies, it is cut out into desired shapes and
packed. Glycerol, which exists in a dissolved state in the solution, is
separated with the help of distillation.
It is possible to prepare different types of soaps from different salts of
fatty acids.
Glycerol is by -product formed in the saponification reaction. This is used in
the preparation of cosmetics, paints and even explosives.
The Soap molecule has two ends with different properties. They are
hydrophillic end and hydrophobic end.
Hydrophillic end :dissolves in dirt
Hydrophillic end dissolves in water.
Cleaning action of soap:

The cleaning action of soap is due to micelle formation and emulsion
formation. Inside water a unique orientation forms clusters of molecules in
which the hydrophobic tails are in the interior of the cluster and the ionic
ends on the surface of cluster. This results in the formation of micelle.
Soap in the form of micelle cleans the dirt as the dirt will be collected at the
centre of micelle.
This property of soap makes it an emulsifier. The dirt suspended in micelles is
easily rinsed away. This is known as cleaning action of soap.
Scum:
In hard water soap don't give lather .Hard water contains calcium and
magnesium salts, which combine with soap molecules to form insoluble
precipitates known as scum.
Detergents:
Detergents have almost the same properties as soaps but they are more
effective in hard water. Detergents are generally ammonium or sulphonate
salts of long chain carboxylic acids. The charged ends of these compounds do
not form insoluble precipitates with the calcium and magnesium ions in water.
Properties of Soaps and Detergents

Soaps and detergents have similar functions, but they do differ in chemistry
and performance. With the help of the experiments performed in class or lab,
students will be able to analyze the similarities and differences in the properties
of soap and detergent, which can be done by analyzing foaming ability, testing
pH, fat emulsification, examining the effect of soap and detergent on the
surface tension of water, and the performance of soap and detergent in hard
water.
Difference between Soaps & Detergents

Soaps Detergents
Soaps can not dissolve in saline Detergents can dissolve even in saline
water or hard water. water and hard water.
Some detergents are not biodegradable
All soaps are biodegradable. i.e. detergents with a branched
hydrocarbon chain
It consists of a ‘-COONa’ group
It consists of a ‘-SO3Na’ group attached
attached to a fatty acid having a
to a long alkyl chain.
long alkyl chain.
They are environmentally friendly They form a thick layer of foam over
products. water which kills aquatic life.
They form scum when reacted to They do not form scum.

hard water.
Soaps are derived from natural

Detergents are generally a derivative of
substances such as vegetable oils
a synthetic compound.
and animal fats.
They are generally used for In addition to their use for cleaning
cleaning and also for lubricating purposes, detergents are also used as
purposes. biological reagents and fuel additives.
Advantages and Disadvantages of Detergents over Soaps
Detergents have an ample range of advantages over soaps. Hence, they are
replacing soaps as washing agents. Detergents are better than soaps because
of the following reasons:
• Detergents are more soluble in water than soaps.
• Soaps are not suitable for use with saline water and hard water, whereas
detergents can be used even with saline water and hard water.
• Detergents have a more powerful cleansing action than soaps.
The only disadvantage of detergents over soaps is that some of the detergents
are not biodegradable.
Example of Soap and Detergent

The examples of soaps and detergents include:
1. Examples of Soaps - Sodium stearate and sodium palmitate
2. Examples of Detergents - Sodium lauryl sulfate or SLS, and deoxycholic
acid

Soap and Dtergenets

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C17H35COONa – sodium stearate

Palmitic acid - C15H31COONa- Sodium palmitate

Preparation of soap in laboratory:

Take about 30 ml of vegetable oil in a bea ker. Then add 60 ml of 20%

Commercial preparation of soap:

Cleaning action of soap:

Properties of Soaps and Detergents

Difference between Soaps & Detergents

They form scum when reacted to They do not form scum.

Soaps are derived from natural

Example of Soap and Detergent

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