1. Soap and Detergents Manufacture
Dr. Lek Wantha

2. Contents Soap Detergents Glycerin Raw materials Manufacture
Biological degradation of detergents
Glycerin

3. 1. Soap Sodium/potassium salts of variety of fatty acid Sponification
Oleic
Stearic
Palmitic
Lauric
Myristic
Sponification
Sponification

4. Soap 1. Carboxylate end of molecule 2. Hydrocarbon chain
Hydrophilic (water-loving)
2. Hydrocarbon chain
Hydrophobic (water-hating)
Soap differs from detergents in its action in hard water
Micelle
2RCOONa (aq) + Ca [RCOO] Ca(s) Na+(aq)
soap hard water Insoluble compound

5. Micelle
# Liquid droplet covered soap or detergent molecules

6. Cleaning Action of Soap
Without soap
With soap

7. Hydrolysis of triglyceride at
Raw Materials
Fatty acid: triglycerides
Builder and additive: NaOH
Hydrolysis of triglyceride at ºC

8. Fatty Acid Compositions (%)

9. Builder and additive Chemical ingredient Purpose Acids-Bases
To ensure optimal pH of wash water
Bleaching agents, activators and stabilisers
Enhanced cleaning performance
Builders, complexing agents and ion exchangers
Water-softening to maximise cleaning efficiency (i.e. removing dirt and keeping it in suspension)
Corrosion inhibitors
To prevent corrosion of washing machines
Dyes
To add colour to detergents
Dye transfer inhibitors
To prevent loss of garment dyes
Enzymes
‘Biological’ cleaning
Fluorescent whitening agents
Optical brightening
Foam regulators
To limit foam generation (machine washing)
Formulation aids
To improve detergent performance
Soil repellents/anti-redeposition agents
To prevent re-deposition of dirt during washing
Solvents
To keep ingredients in solution

10. Soap Manufacture Sponfication Glyceride Amalgamator 1 2 3 4 5
Vacuum spraying
Sponfication
Neat soap
Dry soap pellets
Amalgamator
-Fragrance
-Color
-Vitamin
-Etc.
Rolling mills
Soap noodle
Extrude
Stamp
Cut
Soap

11. Soap Manufacture Step1: Sponification Step2: Vacuum spray drying
Oil and fat are heated
Liquid sodium/ potassium salt (neat soap)
By- product (glycerine)
Step2: Vacuum spray drying
Drying soap to pellet
Step3: Soap finishing line
Drying soap pellet to bar
Added fragrance, vitamin and color

12. Soap Manufacture Step4: Homogenized and refined Step5: Stamp in bar
Soap properties
-Fat and oils
-Alkali employed
Hard soap (bar soap): sodium hydroxide
Liquid soap: potassium hydroxide

13. Saponification vessel
NaOH solution
Oil mix
Glycerine
Half
spent lye
Saponification vessel
Spent lye
Glycerine recovery
Static separator
Crud soap
Fresh lye
Soap washing
Fresh lye
SOAP MAKING
Saponification is the process of making soap from fat. The chemical reaction for this is shown in the slide.
3 C19H37O NaOH > C18H35O21- Na C3H8O3
glyceryl tristearate (fat) sodium hydroxide sodium stearate (soap) glycerin
Read Chem Matters “Soap Making”
Washed soap
Fresh lye
Centrifuge

14. Wet soap Soap neutralisation Soap chips
Coconut oil
or some other
weak acids
Soap neutralisation
Preservatives
Soap drying
Soap chips
Plodder worms
Soap noodles

15. 2. Detergents Cleansing materials Surface active in aqueous solution
Surfactant
Surfactant with carboxyl, sulfate, sulfonate groups are used as sodium or potassium salts
Oil- soluble part organic group
(Usually the equivalent of an
8 to 18 carbon hydrocarbon)
Water soluble part
-COO-Na+
-SO4-Na+
-SO3-Na+
-OH
Hydroprobe
Hydrophile
Surfactant molecule

16. Surfactant Molecule in Water
As same as Soap

17. 4 Groups of Surfactant

18. Groups of Surfactant Anionic Cationic Alkylbenzene sulfonate Anionic
Hexadecyltrimethylammonium Bromide
(HDPBr)

19. Raw Materials #1.Fatty acid: triglycerides #2. Alkyl Benzene CH2=CH2
Triglyceride+H2 Glycerol +Fatty alcohol
#2. Alkyl Benzene
Pressure
Catalyst
CH2=CH2
Benzene
Linear alkyl benzene

20. Raw Materials #3. Builder boost detergent power :70-80% of detergents
Sodium tripolyphosphate
Sodium metaphosphate
Phosphate Builder
Reduce water hardness
Reduce re-deposition of soil from wash water on fabric

21. Additives Type Example Function Bleach Sodium Hypochlorite
To clean fabric and remove stains
Corrosion Inhibitor
Sodium Silicate
To protect metal and washer part from action of detergents and water
Optical Brightener
Fluorescent dyes
To make fabric brighter because of its ability to convert ultraviolet light to visible light

22. Detergent Manufacture
#1 Sulfation and/or sulfonation
Alkyl benzene
Alkyl benzene
sulfonate
Oleum

23. Detergent Manufacture
#2 Neutralization
Sulfonation
Sulfation
Neutralization

24. Detergent Manufacture
Liquid
Ingredients
Dry
Ingredients 3 4
Heat
Sensing
Ingredients
Crutcher
Detergent
Spray Drying 1 2

25. Biological Degradation of Detergents
Degradation by microbial = biodegradability
Non linear alkyl benzene sulfonate
Lower biodegradability
Lower cost
Linear alkyl benzene sulfonate
Higher biodegradability
More expensive

26. 3. Glycerin Glycerine or Glycerol 2 types Clear, sweet, odorless
Occur in triglyceride
Using
Cosmetics
Pharmaceutical
Food
2 types
Natural glycerin: oil, fat
By product of soup production
Synthetic glycerin: petroleum

27. Natural glycerin Evaporators Condensers Fresh Tank Still Feed Tank
Crude
Glycerin
Settling
Tank
Fat skimming
Condensers
Evaporators
HG= high gravity; YD = yellow distilled
Filter
Product Tanks
Bleaching Tank
Still
Feed
Tank
Fresh Tank
Glycerin
Refined glycerin
(95-99% glycerol)
Heat Exchanger
Crude
(78% glycerol) 27

28. Synthetic glycerin Epichlorohydrin Glycidol Glyceroldehyde
Propylene Cl2
HOCl
Allyl chloride
Isopropyl alcohol
H2O
Acetone
Glycerol
dichlorohydrin
NaOH H2
Glycidol
Glyceroldehyde
Epichlorohydrin O2
+H2O2
Synthetic glycerin

29. Soap vs. Detergents
Soaps
Detergents
They contain sodium carboxylate (COONa) group.
They contain sodium sulphonate (SO3Na) group.
They are not suitable for washing with hard water.
They are suitable for both hard and soft water.
They have relatively weak cleansing action.
They have strong cleansing action.
They are biodegradable.
Most of them are non-biodegradable.
Hard water contains minerals w/ions like Ca2+, Mg2+, and Fe that replace Na1+ at polar end of soap molecule.
Soap is changed into an insoluble precipitate (i.e., soap scum).

30. Sources
phosphates/pdf/phosphates.pdf
al_papers/Sulfo%20and%20Sulfa%201.pdf
g2004p35-45.pdf
Kiattikomol, R. Chemical process industries. Faculty of Engineer, Burapha University.