The term detergent (L., detergent = to wipe clean) is rather a general one and is used to denote any cleansing agant. This broad defination including soaps as well.
However according to present- day popular terminology, the word Detergent generally refers to synthetic detergents, also called Sunsets.
Composition of Soaps
As we have already discussed, soaps are the sodium or potassium salt of higher fatty acids containing from 12 to 18 carbon atoms.
The mixture of sodium salts of higher fatty acids so produced are called Sodium Soaps.
Sodium carbixylates are the common toilet soaps. Potassium carbixylates or Potassium Soaps are obtained when the saponification of a fat or oil is carried with potassium hydroxide.
Potassium soaps are softer than sodium soaps t they are used for special purposes when rapid solution is desired e.g., in making shaving cream or liquid soaps (shampoo).
The composition of sodium or potassium carbixylates constituting soap depends on the percentage of fatty acids bounded to glycerol in the original triglyceridis soap depends on the percentage of fatty acids of sodium or potassium salts of higher fatty acids (palmitic acid, stearic acids) and give hard (oleic acid and linoleic acid) and give soft soaps.
Soap Manufacter
In India the main source of soap is coconut oil which is available in abundance in the Southern states. Palm oil, groundnut oil and cottonseed oil are also used. Therefore, in actual practice, mixture of solid fats (hardened oils) and oils are bliended to produce a soap having properties best suited for a particular use.
Soaps can be made from fat blends in two ways:
(a). Soponification of fats with alkali solutions;
(b). Direct neutralisation of fatty acids.
The soponification method are most commonly used for the manufacturer of soaps. Increasing amounts, however, are now produced by direct neutralisation of fatty acids obtained from fat splitting.
