DISCUSSION

There are two objectives of this experiment; to synthesise a sample of hard soap and
to test the soap produced. Soaps are carboxylate salts with very long hydrocarbon chains. The
hydrocarbon chain also can be divided into hydrophobic tail and hydrophilic head. The
hydrophobic tail is water hating end and soluble in oil or grease. Meanwhile hydrophilic head
is water loving and only soluble in water. Soap can be made from the base hydrolysis of a fat
or an oil. This hydrolysis is called saponification. In this experiment sodium hydroxide and
fat has been used to prepare the soap. After the saponification process, the product obtained
were soap and glycerol. The residue from the preparation is smooth when touch with wet
fingers.

When soap is made, first vegetable oil will be dissolved in ethanol. Why ethanol is
needed, because according to Newton, ethanol is added to liquid soaps to serve as a
germicide. Ethanol is considered to be insoluble when mixed into a solid soap. Since water
and oil are unable to mix, ethanol has the ability to dissolve on a partial level in water and oil.
This process assists the reaction of fatty acid and sodium hydroxide to produce water, soap,
salt and fatty acids. In essence, ethanol allows for the water and the oil to have better contact.
The process of making soap has generally remained unchanged over the years, however, there
are various stories as to how soap was originally created.

Based on Table 1, first to this experiment, preparing the Sodium hydroxide (NaOH)
solution by mixing 1 mL of distilled water and 1 mL of 95% ethanol. To have hard soap,
adding Sodium hydroxide was necessary because Sodium hydroxide resulted in a soap that
will be crystallized enough to be opaque. Second observation was after the prepared NaOH
solution added to 0.25g liquid vegetable oil, the mixture did not completely dissolved in each
other. This is probably due to different density. Next, heating the mixture of vegetable oil and
prepared NaOH solution and it was found that whitish suspension present. The white
suspension formed were soap and glycerol that has been obtained. Lastly, the saponified
mixture was added with 4 mL NaOH solution and was let cooled in ice water bath, it can be
observed that saponified mixture formed precipate which solidified when cooling. It then
continued to be analysed.
 After the preparation process, the analyzing of soap will be conducted. Firstly, the
mixture was tested with distilled water. The solution turned colorless. It showed that soap had
dissolved in the mixture. Besides that, foam had formed after the solution was shaken
vigorously in measuring cylinder. Height of the foams were around 4.0 mL. The soap
dissolved in water because of hydrophilic head present in the long hydrocarbon chain of the
soap. The foam present showing that the residue was soap. Besides that, the prepared soap
was then tested with 10 drops of 4% calcium chloride solution. The solution contained a
great amount of calcium and magnesium ions. This ion reacted with soap to form insoluble
precipitate known as scum. Based on the result, the mixture remained colorless, foams
disappear and a layer of impurities were observed at the surface of the mixture. This
observation show there were scum (calcium stearate) present in the upper layer. Lastly the
mixture was tested with trisodium phosphate. Trisodium phosphate is a cleaning agent,
lubricant, food additive, stain remover and degreaser. After the solution are shake vigorously,
colorless solution turned cloudy and colloid were observed. The solution felt slippery when
touched with fingers. The solution turned cloudier because the hydrophobic tail of the soap
molecule dissolved in trisodium phosphate molecule and form as emulsion (oil droplet)
which make the soap surface slippery.

Hence, this is the equation to the reaction of saponification.