Soap and Detergent History & Differences PDF

SOAP AND DETERGENT  Brief History of Soap and Detergent A soap-like material was found in a clay cylinder in ancient Babylon is evidence that soap-making was known as early as 2800 B.C. Inscriptions in the cylinder say that fat was boiled with ashes, a soap-...

SOAP AND DETERGENT  Brief History of Soap and Detergent A soap-like material was found in a clay cylinder in ancient Babylon is evidence that soap-making was known as early as 2800 B.C. Inscriptions in the cylinder say that fat was boiled with ashes, a soap- making method. An Egyptian medical document describes combining animal and vegetable oils with alkaline salts to form soap-like material used to treat skin diseases as well as for washing.  Brief History of Soap and Detergent According to an Ancient Roman legend, soap got its name from Mount Sapo, where animals were sacrificed. Rain washed a mixture of melted animal fat or tallow and wood ashes into the clay soil along the Tiber River. Women found this clay mixture and did their washing with much less effort.  Brief History of Soap and Detergent By the second century, a Greek physician, Galen, recommended soap for medicinal and cleansing purposes. Soap making was an established craft in Europe in the 7th century. Italy, Spain, and France were the early centers for soap manufacturing due to their ready supply of raw materials such as oils from olive trees.  Brief History of Soap and Detergent Soap was a luxury enjoyed mainly by those who could afford it. Manufactured bar soaps were not available until the late 18th century in Europe and the U.S. Widespread use of soap during this period can be attributed to advertising campaigns touting the relationship between good personal hygiene and health. In 1791, Nicholas Leblanc patented making soda ash or sodium carbonate from common salt. Soda ash is combined with fat to form soap. In the mid-1800s, Ernest Solvay invented another soap technology, the ammonia process, to make soda ash out of common table salt. This process further reduced the cost of obtaining soda ash and increased its quantity and quality for soap manufacturing.  Brief History of Soap and Detergent In 1916, Germany created the first synthetic detergent. It is in response to World War I soap ingredient shortages. It encouraged manufacturers to develop synthetic cleaners to meet demand. By the 1950s, detergents had overtaken traditional soap products in homes across America.  What is the difference between Soap and detergent?  SOAP A soap is a salt of a compound known as a fatty acid. A soap molecule consists of a long hydrocarbon chain (composed of carbons and hydrogens) with a carboxylic acid group on one end, which is ionically bonded to a metal ion, usually sodium or potassium. The hydrocarbon end is nonpolar and is soluble in nonpolar substances, and the ionic end is soluble in water. Some of the examples are: 1. Sodium stearate (chemical formula: C17H35COO-Na+) 2. Sodium oleate (chemical formula: C17H31COO-Na+) 3. Sodium palmitate (chemical formula: C15H33COO-Na+) SOAP  DETERGENT Detergents are the potassium or sodium salts of a long alkyl chain ending with a sulfonate group. They are soluble in hard water. This solubility is attributed to the fact that the sulfonate group does not attach itself to the ions present in hard water. Commonly, anionic detergents such as alkyl benzene sulfonates are used for domestic purposes. DETERGENT  SOAP AND DETERGENT Soaps and detergents must have certain chemical structures to function as a cleaning agent. Their molecules must contain a hydrophobic (water- insoluble) portion, such as fatty acids, or a very-long- chain carbon group, such as fatty alcohols or alkylbenzene. The molecule must also contain a hydrophilic (water-soluble) group. This hydrophilic part makes the molecule soluble in water. In general, the hydrophobic part of the molecule attaches itself to the solid or fiber and onto the soil, and the hydrophilic part attaches itself to the water.