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Depending on the nature of the alkali used in their production, soaps have distinct properties. Sodium hydroxide (NaOH) produces "hard" soaps; hard soaps can also be used in water containing Mg, Cl, and Ca salts. [5] By contrast, potassium soaps (derived using KOH) are "soft" soaps. The fatty acid source also affects the soap's melting point.
A handmade soap bar Two equivalent images of the chemical structure of sodium stearate, a typical ingredient found in bar soaps Emulsifying action of soap on oil. Soap is a salt of a fatty acid (sometimes other carboxylic acids) used for cleaning and lubricating products as well as other applications. [1]
The resulting product can be called oleochemicals (from Latin: oleum "olive oil"). The major product of this industry is soap, approximately 8.9×10 6 tons of which were produced in 1990. Other major oleochemicals include fatty acids, fatty acid methyl esters, fatty alcohols and fatty amines. Glycerol is a side product of all of these processes ...
The higher the saponification value, the lower the fatty acids average length, the lighter the mean molecular weight of triglycerides and vice versa. Practically, fats or oils with high saponification value (such as coconut and palm oil) are more suitable for soap making.
Total fatty matter (TFM) is one of the most important characteristics describing the quality of soap and is always specified in commercial transactions. It is defined as the total amount of fatty matter, mostly fatty acids , that can be separated from a sample after splitting with a mineral acid , usually hydrochloric acid .
Lithium grease in use. Lithium soap is a soap consisting of a lithium salt of a fatty acid. [1] [2] Sodium-based and potassium-based soaps are used as cleaning agents in domestic and industrial applications, whereas lithium soaps are used as components of lithium grease (white lithium).
Fatty acids are mainly used in the production of soap, both for cosmetic purposes and, in the case of metallic soaps, as lubricants. Fatty acids are also converted, via their methyl esters, to fatty alcohols and fatty amines, which are precursors to surfactants, detergents, and lubricants. [17]
In this context, soap is used in its formal sense, a metal salt of a fatty acid: in this case stearic acid. It is a white solid that repels water. It is a white solid that repels water. It is insoluble in polar solvents such as alcohol and ether but soluble in aromatic hydrocarbons (e.g., benzene ) and chlorinated hydrocarbons when heated.