Detergents and Soaps

Organic Chemistry - Manufacture of soaps and detergents SOAPS The chemical reaction that produces soap is called saponification. It occurs when a hot caustic alkali solution, such as caustic soda (sodium hydroxide), acts on natural fats or oils to produce a smooth, semisolid, fatty acid salt (soap) and glycerin, or glycerol. There are many different procedures and techniques of making soap. Three main ones include the boiling process, the continuous process and the cold procedure, …

…promoted by these phosphates changed water quality. These algal blooms led to oxygen depletion and resultant the aquatic life slowly dieing away. Although detergents are more effective cleaners than soaps, they have a number of environmental downsides. Detergents need to be reserved for special uses as they pollute the environment and they are not renewable. Soaps need to be used more commonly instead of detergents where possible, to reduce pollution as soaps are biodegradable. Bibliography