Question

73) What are different kinds of soaps? What are raw materials used for manufacture of different kinds of soaps.

Answer 1

Definition:

Soaps are the sodium or potassium salts of fatty acids produced when sodium or potassium hydroxide is treated with vegetable oil or triglycerides, it leads to the formation of soaps and glycerin (by-product).

$\mathrm{Triglycerides}+\mathrm{Sodium}\mathrm{or}\mathrm{Potassium}\mathrm{hydroxide}\to \mathrm{Sodium}\mathrm{or}\mathrm{potassium}\mathrm{salt}\mathrm{of}\mathrm{fatty}\mathrm{acid}+\mathrm{glycerine}$

Kinds of soaps and raw materials:

Soaps are of different kinds as mentioned below -

• Laundry soaps - It is made up of vegetable oil and contains free alkali.
• Scouring soap - When the fine pieces of pumice stone + sand + Sodium carbonate are added as fillers, it leads to the formation of scouring soap.
• Toilet soap - It is made up of the best quality triglycerides and does contain free alkali.
• Medicated soap - When toilet soap is adulterated by certain medicinal contents, it leads to the formation of medicated soap.
• Soft soap - It is made up of a combination of vegetable oil and potassium hydroxide.
• Transparent soap - When soaps are dissolved in alcohol and then alcohol is evaporated, then it leads to the formation of transparent soap.