PREPARATION AND PROPERTIES OF SOAP

DISCUSSION:
The alkali metal salts of fatty acids, usually having
10-18 carbon atoms, are known as soaps. They have a
long nonpolar, oil-soluble hydrocarbon chain at one end
and a water-soluble carboxylate ion at the other end.
Hence, soap can act as a wetting agent and emulsifying
agent.
Fats are the starting material for one of the oldest
chemical manufacturing processes: soap production by
alkaline hydrolysis.
The term saponification, meaning the conversion of
soap is still used to denote the reaction of an ester with
a base to give the salt of the acid. In the preparation of
soap, the fat and aqueous alkali are heated and stirred
together and the soap is then precipitated by adding
salt.
Water containing appreciable amounts of minerals
such as calcium and magnesium ions causes soaps to
form insoluble precipitates and is called hard water.
The insoluble precipitates are usually dense than water
so that they rise to the top of the solution and form a
soap scum. This problem has led to the development of
synthetic detergents or syndets which also contain fat-
soluble groups in their structure. Unlike soaps, they do
not form precipitate in hard water. The formula of a
typical syndet is shown below.
CH3CH2 CH2CH2CH2CH2CH2CH2CH2CH2CH2CH2- -
+
SO3Na
PROCEDURES:
A. PREPARATION OF SOAP
1. Place 10 grams of the fat or oil in a 250 ml beaker
and 20 ml of 10% NaOH solution.
2. Heat the mixture with a low flame and stir
continuously in one direction until saponification is
complete. To test, shake 1 or 2 drops of the
mixture with 5 ml of warm water. If good suds are
produced, oily fat globules separate upon standing
saponification is complete.

3. Pour the mixture into a cardboard mold and allow

it to set.
 B. PROPERTIES OF SOAP
Dissolve a portion of the prepared soap in 100 ml of
warm water. Use the solution in the following steps.

1. Add a drop of phenolphthalein to 1 ml of the soap

solution. Observe.
2. To 10 ml of the soap solution, add 10-15 ml of
saturated NaCl solution. Filter the curdy mass that
separates. Dissolve a small portion of the
precipitate soap in 1 ml water. Add a drop of
phenolphthalein. Observe.
3. Add 10 drops of Calcium sulfate, 10 drops of
Magnesium sulfate, and 10 drops of Calcium
chloride into 3 test tubes containing 3 ml of
prepared soap solution. Observe.
4. Fill a test tube about half-full of warm distilled
water. Add 1 ml of soap solution to this tube,
stopper, and shake. Observe again.

B1 B2 B3 B4

Violet mixture Precipitated CaSO4 MgSO4 CaCl2

Soap soln.
soap (white precipitate)
in dist.H2O
 C. PROPERTIES OF SYNTHETIC DETERGENT

1. Add few grains of solid detergent or a few drop of

liquid detergent to a tube half-filled with distilled
water. Add a drop phenolphthalein and observe.

2. Fill 3 test tubes about half-full of warm distilled

water. Add small amount of detergent to each
tube. Place 10 drops of Copper sulfate to the first
tube, 10 drops Magnesium sulfate to the second
tube and 10 drops Calcium chloride to the third
tube, stopper and shake. Observe and compare
the results with those obtained in Part B.

3. Fill test tube about half-full of warm distilled water.

Add 1 ml of cottonseed oil, stopper and shake.
Observe. Now, add small amount of powdered
detergent to the tube. Stopper and shake again.
Observe and compare the results with those
obtained in Part B.

C1 C2 C3

H2O-detergent
 (no precipitate formed)
CaSO 4 MgSO4 CaCl2 Oil +
H2O Emulsion

PREPARATION AND PROPERTIES OF SOAP

Soaps are produced from the saponification(alkaline hydrolysis of fats and oils) of fats
and oils and are prepared by hydrolyzing oil in the presence of a strong base. The product of
saponification of oils is soap. Soap is the alkali metals salts of fatty acids while the base is
called the saponifying agent. Therefore, in oils, it is the fatty acid that is converted into soap.

Classes: a) soft soap, if the saponifying agent is KOH

b) hard soft, if the saponifying agent is NaOH
A soap solution is actually the suspension of soap micelles in water. Micelles are
composed of a non-polar tail and a polar head. Soap cleanses by attracting non-polar molecules
(greases) to the non-polar part of the micelles. The outer polar part of the micelles are attracted
to water . Soap is classified as surfactant(any surface that lowers the surface tension of water.
This enables soap to penetrate the weave of a fabric enhancing its cleansing ability.
In this activity, NaCl was mixed with the oil and base mixture. NaCl induces a “salting-
out effect” in order that the residual water, during the saponification process will not mix with the
soap produced. This lessens the possibility of a brittle soap product and ensures a better
composition for the soap.
How Soap Cleanses
Soap owes its remarkable cleansing properties to its ability to act as an emulsifying
agent. The long hydrocarbon chains of natural soaps are insoluble n water, they tend to cluster
to minimize their contact with surrounding water molecules. Most of the things we commonly
think of as dirt (such as grease, oil and fat stains) are non-polar and insoluble in water. When
soap and this type of dirt are mixed together, as in washing machines, the non-polar part of the
soap micelles attract or dissolve the non-polar dirt molecules.

SAMPLE RESULT(COLOR)
Soap + phenolphthalein Violet mixture (soap is basic)
Soap + saturated NaCl Formation of precipitated soap
Soap scum + phenolphthalein Violet mixture (soap scum is basic)

Scum is the product when soap reacts with water containing metal ions. Such water is
called hard water. Soap scum is still soap which makes it basic upon reaction with
phenolphthalein.
The addition of saturated salt solutions to soap produces precipitates. This is also soap
scum. Magnesium and calcium ions are present in hard water ( water from the faucet).
Interaction with Ca+2, Mg+2 and Fe+2 ions present in hard water converts the amphipathic
soap( having both hydrophilic and hydrophobic parts) anion into a water-insoluble ionic
compound.
CaSO2, MgSO2 and CaCl2 produce a white precipitate while CuSO4 produces a light blue
precipitate with soap.

Soap + CaSO2/MgSO2 /CaCl2 Insoluble precipitate

The addition of soap to warm water dilutes the soap solution. This produces lesser
bubbles(suds).

PROPERTIES OF SYNTHETIC DETERGENTS

Detergents(syndets) are synthetic compounds used as cleansing reagents. They work
like soap however, detergents do not precipitate in hard water because their calcium and
magnesium compounds are soluble. Detergents are used in washing clothes and also as
cleansing agents in toothpastes and toothpowders.
Long chains of –COOH in soaps form relatively insoluble calcium and magnesium salts
which separate from the aqueous phase as effective “scum.” Sulfonic acid of detergent remains
soluble and retain their surfactant properties. Detergent possessing straight chain of carbon
atoms are readily degraded by natural processes than those with branched-chain alkyl groups.
 Branched-chain synthetic detergents are far less biodegradable than a continuous-chain
synthetic detergents. Detergent containing straight chains are biodegradable and does not
cause water pollution, whereas those containing branched chains are non-biodegradable.

Biodegradability is essential to prevent waste H2O by preventing high concentration of

soap into rivers and lakes. The term biodegradable is used to describe materials that
decompose through the actions of bacteria, fungi, and other living organisms. Temperature and
sunlight may also play roles in the decomposition of biodegradable plastics and other
substances.

RESULTS:
Syndet + phenolphthalein violet mixture (syndet is basic)
Detergent + phenolphthalein formation of purplish color due to the alkaline
properties
The addition of salt solutions to detergent does not produce precipitate. This makes the
detergent a more effective cleansing agent than soap, especially when removing oil substances
like grease and oil.
With CaSO4, MgSO4, CaCl2 No precipitate
a) Detergent + water more persistent foam
Soap is non-biodegradable. Detergent is biodegradable (due to its straight chain
hydrocarbons). They contain salts of alkyl hydrogen sulfate, soluble and do not form
precipitate in hard water.
The mixture of oil and cottonseed oil produces an emulsion (a fine dispersion of
minute droplets of one liquid in another in which it is not soluble or miscible). Detergent
is attracted to both water and oil helping them to join together and form an emulsion.
Thus detergents are better emulsifying agents than soaps.
Answers to Questions:
1. Write the equation for:
a) The preparation of soap from a typical fat. (See pre-lab discussion)
b) The reaction of magnesium ions with sodium stearate:
C17H35OO-Na+ + MagSO4 Mg(C17H35COO)2 + 2 Na2SO4
Sodium stearate magnesium stearate
( soap) (insoluble soap)
 Foams in detergents are more persistent than those in soaps. Soaps form scums
that stick to the clothes and are difficult to remove.

A greater quantity of soap is need with hard water before suds appear which are
necessary for the cleansing action of soaps. Detergent do not form scum in hard water
making them produce more persistent foams.