CHAPTER 5

CHEMICAL FOR
CUMSUMERS

5.1 SOAP
1. Soap is a sodium or potassium salts of long chain

fatty acids that contains 12 to 18 carbon atoms per

molecule.
2. General formula :
-RCOO- Na + or
-RCOO- K+.
R = alkyl group which contains at least 12 to 18
carbon atoms.

Preparation of Soaps
1. Soaps are made from animal fats and vegetable

oils.
2. Soaps are prepared by hydrolyzing fats or oils under
alkaline condition.
3. This reaction is called saponification.

Saponification
Is a process which involves boiling fats or oils with

concentrated sodium hydroxide solution or

potassium hydroxide solution to produce glycerol
and the salts of fatty acids which is also known as
soap
Chemical equation:
Fats + NaOH/KOH glycerol + RCOO- Na+/K+
(Ester)

(soap)

The General Equation

1. The fats and oils are hydrolised first to form

glycerol and fatty acids.

2. The acids then react with an alkali to form the

corresponding sodium and potassium salts.

3. When concentrated KOH/NaOH solution, a sodium

and potassium palmitate is formed.

4. Potassium soaps are softer, milder than sodium

soaps. Used for bathing.

Experiment 5.1:
Preparation of Soaps
Procedures:
1. 10 cm3 of palm oil is poured into a beaker.
2. 50 cm3 of 5 mol dm-3 NaOH solution is added to the
palm oil.
3. The mixture is then heated until it boils. The mixture
is then stirred with glass rod.
4. The mixture is boiled for 10 minutes until the layer
of oils disappears.
5. Bunsen burner is turned off. The mixture is left to
cool down.

6. 50 cm3 of distilled water and 3 spatulas of NaCl are

added to the mixture.

7. The mixture is boiled for another 5 minutes. The
mixture is allowed to cool.
8. Soap is then filtered out. The soap is then washed
with a little of distilled water.
9. The soap is then pressed between a few pieces of
filter paper to dry it.
.

Function of NaCl
(a) To precipitate the soap
(b) To reduce the solubility of the soap.

5.2: Detergent
1. Detergent is any cleaning agent that is not a soap.
2. It is made from synthetic sources such as

petroleum.
3. Detergents are usually sodium salts of sulfuric

acid.

2 General Formulae of Detergents

(a) Sodium alkyl sulfate

(b) Sodium alkylbenzene sulphonate

The Cleansing Action of Soap and

Detergent
1.
.
.
.

The abilities of soap and detergent:

to lower the surface tension
To emulsify the oil or grease
To hold them in suspension in water

2. These abilities are due to the structure of soaps

and detergent.
3. When soap is dissolved in water, it ionises to form
soap anions and sodium cations.

Example: ionisation of sodium palmitate

CH3(CH2)14COO-Na+ CH3(CH2)14COO- + Na+

4. A soap anion consists of a long hydrocarbon chain

with a carboxylate group on one end.

hydrphobic

hydrophilic

5. In water, detergent dissolves to form detergent

anions and sodium/potassium cation.

6. Example: Sodium alkyl sulfate

hydrophobic

hydrophilic

1. The hydrocarbon chain, which is hydrophobic is

soluble in oils or grease.

2. The ionic part is the carboxylate group which is

hydrophilic and is soluble in water.

3. When soap or detergent is added to water, it

reduces the surface tension of the water.

4. When the surface tension is lowered, the water

molecules will spread out and wet the clothes.

5. So, soaps also act as a wetting agent.

How to Clean Your Clothes

Effectively??

6. If the water is agitated slightly, the grease begins

to be lifted off the surface.

7. Mechanical agitation during scrubbing helps to pull

the grease free and breaks the grease into small

droplets.

8. The droplets do not coagulate and do not

redeposit on the surface of the water due to the

repulsion between the negative charges on the
surface.
9. The droplets are suspended in water. Thus forming

an emulsion.
10. Soap and detergent act as emulsifying agent to

emulsify oil and grease.

11. Rinsing washes away these droplets and leaves

the surface clean.

Additives in Detergents
1. Builder (sodium tripolyphosphate)

- Enhance the cleansing efficiency of detergent by

softening the water.
2. Suspension agent (carboxymethylcellose/CMC)

- Prevent the dirt particles removed from depositing

onto the clean clothes.

3. Drying agent (sodium sulphate//sodium silicate)