Soap

hemically Soaps are the alkali salts of higher fatty acid.These fatty acids are generally oleic acid (C17H33COOH), Stearic acid (C17H35COOH), palmatic acid (C15H31COOH), myristic acid (C13H27COOH).Soaps are prepared by hydrolysis of oil & fats with sodium & potassium hydro oxide. Common toilet soaps are the sodium soaps manufactured from fatty oils.

(Oils & Fats)

Alkali _______________

Soap + Glycerin

Types of Soaps:There are two types of soaps. 1 2 Hard Soap Soft soap

Hard Soap:
The sodium soap is known as hard soap. These are comparatively less soluble in water and give less leather. Hard soaps are usually used for laundry purposes.

Soft Soap:
Potassium soaps are generally known as soft soap. These are more soluble in water and give good leather than hard soap. These are used for different purposes like special toilet soap, shaving soap. It is used in shaving cream as well.

Mechanism of cleansing soaps:When used for cleaning, soap serves as a surfactant in conjunction with water. The cleaning action of this mixture is attributed to the action of micelles, tiny spheres coated on the outside with polar hydrophilic (water loving) groups, encasing a lipophilic (fat loving) pocket that can surround the grease particles, causing them to disperse in water. The lipophilic portion is made up of the long hydrocarbon chain from the fatty acid. In other words, whereas normally oil and water do not mix, the addition of soap allows oils to disperse in water and be rinsed away. Synthetic detergents operate by similar mechanisms to soap.

Process of Manufacturing of Soap

a. Cold Process b. Full boiled Process c. Warm or Semi boiled Process d. Neutralizing Process

Raw Material for Soap

1 2 Tallow Animal Greases

3 4 5 6 7 8

Fatty Acid Oils Alkali Soap Stock Builders Additives

Additives:
Additives are used to enhance the color, texture, and scent of soap. Fragrances and perfumes are added to the soap mixture to cover the odor of dirt and to leave behind a fresh-smelling scent. Abrasives to enhance the texture of soap include talc, silica, and marble pumice (volcanic ash). Soap made without dye is a dull grey or brown color, but modern manufacturers color soap to make it more enticing to the consumer. Aloe Vera Gel - Add up to 1/2 cup per 5 lb bath of soap. Castor Oil - Add at about 1/2 to 1 ounce per pound of oils -- at trace or in base oils - helps hold scent and gives soap rich lather. Cocoa butter -- Usage is personal preference - I use about 1 1/2 ounces per pound of soap. I split that in half and add half to the base oils and half at light trace. It adds wonderful moisturizing qualities to the soap, contributes to a much harder bar, and, if I use the natural with the cocoa scent, it add a slight chocolate scent to my soap. Emu Oil -- Added at light trace no greater than 10% of total recipe. Adds wonderful moisturizing and healing qualities to the soap. Said to be very good for people with dermatitis, psoriasis etc. Honey -- 1 tsp per pound of oils - Added warmed at light trace - adds fragrance and lather to soap. Salt -- 1 tsp each per pound of oils. Salt adds hardness to the soap. Add in with lye water. Shea Butter -- added at trace (usually). Add wonderful moisturizing and healing benefits to the soap. Also contributes to the "texture" -- making a

very luxurious bar of soap. Small amount goes a long way...but recommended as a "super fat" oil or "premium" oil so usage is usually between 3-7% of total recipe. Silk -- Added to the lye water. Recommended amount is .0125 of an ounce per pound of oils. It adds a wonderful "silky" feeling to the soap (I love it and now add it to all my soaps) Sugar -- 1 tsp each per pound of oils. Sugar adds lather to the soap. Add in with lye water. Stearic Acid - Used to "harden" soap - 1/8 of an ounce per pound of oils and it is added to the "hard" base oils.

Builder:
A substance added to soaps or detergents to increase their cleansing action Sodium pyrophosphate, tetra sodium pyrophosphate - a sodium salt of pyro phosphoric acid used as a builder in soaps.

Fillers:
Fillers increase the weight and volume of the soap. The fillers have itself no advantage it is just added to increase the size of product and also it is decreases the overall cost of product and almost product contain 90% fillers and the valuable material is only 10% e.g. (Borax, antifoaming agents, alcohols,)

References:
Book=> Water.and.Wastewater.Engineering By Mackenzie L. Davis http://www.elmhurst.edu/~chm/vchembook/554soap.html http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soap http://www.gutenberg.org/files/34114/34114-h/34114-h.htm http://www.soap-naturally.com/