Patented June 24, 1930

1767,041
UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE
wYLY M. BILLING, OF CINCINNATI, oBIO, AssIGNOR TO THE wM. S. MERRELL COM
v PANY, OF CINCINNATI, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO
CASTER-OIL, SOAP AND PROCESS OF MAKING CASTOR-OIL, SOAP
No Drawing. Application filed April 14, 1926. Serial No. 102,078.
My invention relates to soaps and the It is an object of my invention to so pre
processes for making same. My invention pare castor oil soap that its stated valuable
relates particularly to those soaps having properties may be utilized. To do this the
germicidal powers or properties wherefore substance should be in such form that it
6 eases,
they are used for treatment of various dis
illnesses and infections. will readily or freely mix with water, and 55
Certain of these soaps, although soluble whenthereby
be so admixed will not The
precipitated. attackglass and
significance
in the first instance, if made into a concen of this is evident when considering that in
trated solution by addition of distilled hospitals, in clinics, and in ordinary house
10 water, on cooling, develop into a transpar hold uses or products of this nature, enamel
ent stiff, firm gel, of high viscosity. ware is commonly used for holding solu
One of the objects in making concentrated tions. Enamel ware consists of a vitreous
SO3,
is to have soap in a form that can be or glass surface upon metal.
ority diluted with water to weak Castor oil soap is a very water soluble
15 solutions.
soap, in fact much more so than most other
It is obvious that a gel as indicated will soaps. Potassium soaps are, as a rule, more
require some time and patience to again take water soluble
it up in water for forming the weak solu responding fatty than sodium-soaps of the cor
tion. These weak solutions, while being sodium soap is highly acids, but even castor oil
20 perfectly fluid, readily attack glass or vit ing my invention I shall soluble. In explain
reous surfaces, and in so doing are precipi it relates to potassium soapsexplain same as 70
tated, thereby lowering the activity of the to be understood that the substance ofitmyis
although
solution. Further, the weak solution is hazy, invention applies likewise to sodium soaps.
25
cloudy and turbid. Heretofore, in endeavoring to make a con
An object of my invention is to produce a centrated
soap that may be given a concentrated fluid been foundsolution
that
of castor oil soap it has 75
castor oil soap, similar to
or paste form providing a weak solution other soaps, when admixed
that will be perfectly clear or transparent water in a proportion of aboutwith distilled
and which will not attack glass or vitreous soap, would give a stiff firm gel;25% for
to 40%
exam
30 surfaces, with the effects previously noted. ple, in making a 40% solution, the same 80
Although I shall explain my discovery cooling gives a perfectly transparent gel on of
and invention as applied to castor oil soap, high viscosity. One of the objects in mak
and in so explaining the invention and the ing
35.
principles involved, the application of my forma which concentrated soap is to have it in a
would be conveniently diluted
invention to other soaps and analogous or to a weak solution. It is obvious that such a 85
parallel chemical processes readily suggest gel as is formed by the .40% solution, would
themselves, wherefore I do not limit myself require a certain amount of time and pa
to the specific or exact substances, propor tience to again take it up in water and thus
tions, totemperatures
40 about enumerate.
and steps that I am
. form a weak solution. Furthermore, weak 90
solutions, for example 1 to 2%, and
In the application of my invention to cas some of the 40% solution has been utilized, in which
tor oil soap it should be borne in mind that while
at the present time castor oil soap is not glass, being perfectly fluid, readily attacks
and in so doing the soap is to some
45 commonly found in commerce because no extent precipitated. The result is that the
one has shown any advantages in its use. activity of the solution is therefore mate- 95
Recently however, a great deal of work has rially lowered.
been done to show that castor oil soap has In practicing my invention, I saponify
a very definite germicidal power as well as castor oil by the exact equivalent amount of
a marked effect in neutralizing bacterial caustic soda, or potash, for obtaining a true
50 toxins.
neutral soap. This neutral soap has the dis- 100
 2. 1,767,041
advantages mentioned for ordinary castor I have used potassium. hydroxide with
oil soaps. To this true. neutral soap I add. equal success but prefer the use of sodium
small amounts of free fatty acids derived hydroxide because of its substantiallyI more
from the castor oil, as a result of which the healthy action upon human tissue. may
gel
5 amounts will undergo a liquefaction. If the small also produce a 40% solution of sodium ric
of free fatty acids of the source in inoleate by a similar process. Ricinoleic
dicated are added while the solution is hot, acid occurs in castor oil as a glyceride along
the mass will cool off as a liquid. This with other fatty acids such as stearic, hy
liquefied gel or solution resulting from the droxy stearic, etc. Ricinoleic acid may be
O addition of the free fatty acids upon the
purified from these other acids in any suit 5
cooling off of the mass when diluted, pro able manner or by any desired method or
vides a solution that remains perfectly clear. process. As such the purified or partly
... glass.
Further. this diluted solution does not attack ingpurified acid may be used as a basis of mak
a 40% solution of sodium ricinoleate of
I have found that the following
15 proportions give desirable results. steps and, greater purity than is obtainable by direct 80
saponification of castor oil. In this way I
In making a 40% solution I saponify 80 have obtained a 40% solution of pure or
grams of castor oil, with sufficient quantity practically pure sodium ricinoleate, which
has all the advantages of fluidity, clarity
of sodium hydroxide, which usually amounts
20 to about 10 grams. The sodium hydroxide. and non-solvent action on glass, which was is:
is dissolved in about 20 cc. of water and explained for the castor oil soap.
added to the castor oil with gentle heat of What I claim is: . . ..
approximately 100° Fahrenheit. When the 1. As a new article of manufacture a sa
oil starts to saponify it goes very rapidly ponified castor oil in a liquid form and com
and froths. To prevent it from boiling over prising approximately 25% to 40% castor. 90
I add only a little caustic soda at a time or . oil, approximately 75% to 60% distille
else keep the mixture barely warm not hot. water, sodium hydroxide and free fatty acids
When tests show that the soda is all used up, of castor oil in excess of the amount neces
I dissolve A to A, gram of caustic soda in a sary to complete reaction of the sodium
hydroxide.
few cc. of water and add this a little at a
30 time, until the soap dissolves clear in dis-, 2. The process which comprises saponi
tilled water, which is very slightly alkaline fying 80 grams of castor oil with approxi
in alcoholic solution to phenolphthalein. , mately 10 grams of sodium hydroxide
I then prepare the fatty acids of castor "dissolved in water and adding to the castor
oil by completely saponifying about 80 grams oil with gentle heat approximately 100° 00
of castor oil with sodium hydroxide: 11 Fahrenheit, and adding small quantities of
grams, the whole of which is dissolved in caustic soda from time to time until the re
sufficient quantity to make a dilute soap SO Sulting mixture dissolves clear in distilled
lution of approximately 5%. I then throw. water, slightly alkaline in alcoholic solution
40 the fatty acids out of solution by adding an to phenolphthalein and adding thereto 8 105
excess of sulphuric acid. About 14 grams gas of E. and permitting same to
of the 98% sulphuric acid are required. COO.
The fatty acidso will rise to the surface and 3. As a new article of manufacture, a sa
the aqueous solution is drawn off from un ponified castor oil in a liquid form and
derneath. The resulting fatty acids are comprising approximately 25% to 40% cas 10
washed by water several times to remove the tor oil, approximately 75% to 60% distilled
sulphates and acid. In this way I obtain 75 water, alkaline metal hydroxide and free.
grams of the fatty acids. I now add about fatty acids of castor oil in excess of the
8 grams of this fatty acid mixture to the amount necessary to complete reaction of the
soap solution as previously described and alkaline metal hydroxide. .. .
allow same to cool. I have found that 4. As a new article of manufacture, a
in this process about 5 grams of fatty acids clear concentrated fluid castor oil soap and
are used up in neutralizing the slight excess being a true neutral soap liquefied by the . .
of caustic which I added, thereby leaving addition of free fatty acids derived from 120
5 5 about 3 grams additional of fatty acids pres-- castor oil and being readily soluble in water
ent. These amounts vary of course with the . to provide a transparent diluted solution.
excesses of caustic which is present. I then 5. As a new article of manufacture a con
add sufficient quantity of water to give about centrated castor oil soap solution rendered
200 grams of solution containing 40% of clear, non-Solvent upon glass and freely sol
60 castor oil soap. This gives a strong solution uble in water by the presence of an excess
of castor oil soap, which mixes readily with of free fatty acid of castor oil.
water and gives dilutions with great ease, . In testimony whereof, I have hereunto
and furthermore, these dilutions do not at tribed my name this 10th day of April,
tack glass as the ordinary castor oil soap
65 does. w WYLY M. BILLING. 130