5.1: Soap and Detergent: Fatty Acid Sodium Palmitate
5.1: Soap and Detergent: Fatty Acid Sodium Palmitate
5.1: Soap and Detergent: Fatty Acid Sodium Palmitate
Preparation of soap
•
Oils and fats are esters formed fromglyce ro l and fatty acids.
•
The oil or fat molecules are “broken up” or hydrolyzed toglyce ro l and
fatty acids.
•
The fatty acids formed then react with sodium hydroxide, NaOH to form
a salt (soap).
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Saponication of oils or fats
O
ll
R’—C—O—CH₂
HO—CH₂
O
l
ll
OH⁻
HO—CH + R’COOH
+ R”COOH + R”’COOH
R”— C—O—CH + 3H₂O
l
O
HO—CH₂
fatty acids
ll
R
”’
— C — O — C H ₂
g l y c e r o l
If the water is agitated slightly, the grease begins to lifted off the
surface.
•
When the cloth is rinsed with water, the droplets will be carried
away
•
Heating and stirring may help to loosen the dirt particles from
the material being washed.
The effectiveness of the cleansing action of soap and
detergent
Property
Soap
Detergent
Cleaning power
Less powerfull
More powerfull
Ease of rinsing
It is difficult to wash away
all soap on clothes. The
soap that remains leave
and odour and spoils the
fabric
Rinse out well from clothes
pH
Slightly alkaline
Can be controlled to suit
the cleaning task
Molecular structure
Determined by the fatty
acids found in the oil or fat
used to produce soap
Can be modified to suit the
cleaning task. For
example, a detergent can
be made specially for
cleaning toilet bowls.
Formation of scum
Forms scum with hard
water
Does not form scum with
hard water
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