This document summarizes an experiment on the effect of Na2CO3 on the foaming capacity of soaps. The experiment tested the foaming capacity of different soap brands using distilled water and tap water. Santoor soap showed the highest foaming capacity, while Lux soap showed the lowest. Tests confirmed the tap water used was soft (did not contain hardness-causing Ca2+ and Mg2+ salts). The conclusion was that soap foaming capacity is highest in distilled water and increases with the addition of Na2CO3.

1. effect of Na₂CO₃ on foaming capacity of soaps
-dakshesh ch, XI-A

2. Sr No. Contents Page no.
1 Acknowledgements 3
2 Preface 4
3 Introduction 5-6
4 Commercial preparation 7-9
5 Introduction to experiment 10
6 Objective and theory 11
7 Procedure 12
8 Observation table 13
9 Result 14
10 Test for hardness 14
11 Bibliography 15

3.  I will treasure the knowledge imparted to me by Manoj sir, my grateful thanks
to him for his able teaching and guidance. I also thank my parents and my
friends for their constant support and cooperation.

4.  Soaps and detergents remove dirt and grease from skin and clothes.
 But all soaps are not equally effective in their cleaning action.
 Soaps are the Na and K salts of higher fatty acids such as Palmitic acid, Stearic acid and Oleic acid.
 The cleansing action of soaps depends on the solubility of the long alkyl chain in grease and that of the
-COONa or the -COOK part in water.
 Whenever soap is applied on a dirty wet cloth, the non polar alkyl group dissolves in grease while the
polar -COONa part dissolves in water.
 In this manner, an emulsion is formed between grease and water which appears as foam. The washing
ability of soap depends on foaming capacity, as well as the water used in cleaning.
 The salts of Ca and Mg disrupt the formation of micelle formation. The presence of such salts makes the
water hard and the water is called hard water.
 These salts thus make the soap inefficient in its cleaning action. Sodium Carbonate when added to
hard water reacts with Ca and Mg and precipitates them out.
 Therefore sodium carbonate is used in the treatment of hard water. This project aims at finding the
foaming capacity of various soaps and the action of Ca and Mg salts on their foaming capacity.

5.  Soap is an anionic surfactant used in conjunction with water for washing
and cleaning, which historically comes either in solid bars or in the form of a
viscous liquid.
 Soap consists of sodium or potassium salts of fatty acids and is obtained by
reacting common oils or fats with a strong alkaline in a process known
as saponification.
 The fats are hydrolyzed by the base, yielding alkali salts of fatty acids (crude
soap) and glycerol. The general formula of soap is
CH₃-(CH₂) n - COONa

6.  Soaps are useful for cleaning because soap molecules have both a hydrophilic
end, which dissolves in water, as well as a hydrophobic end, which is able to
dissolve non polar grease molecules.
 Applied to a soiled surface, soapy water effectively holds particles in colloidal
suspension so it can be rinsed off with clean water.
 The hydrophobic portion (made up of a long hydrocarbon chain) dissolves dirt
and oils, while the ionic end dissolves in water.
 The resultant forms a round structure called micelle. Therefore, it allows
water to remove normally-insoluble matter by emulsification.

7.  The most popular soap making process today is the cold process method,
where fats such as olive oil react with strong alkaline solution, while
some soapers use the historical hot process.
 Handmade soap differs from industrial soap in that, usually, an excess of fat
is sometimes used to consume the alkali (super fatting), and in that
the glycerin is not removed, leaving a naturally moisturizing soap and not
pure detergent.
 Often, emollients such as jojoba oil or Shea butter are added 'at trace' (the
point at which the saponification process is sufficiently advanced that the
soap has begun to thicken), after most of the oils have saponified, so that
they remain unreacted in the finished soap.

8.  Soap is derived from either vegetable or animal fats.
 Sodium Tallowate, a common ingredient in much soap, is derived
from rendered beef fat.
 Soap can also be made of vegetable oils, such as palm oil, and the product is
typically softer.
 An array of saponifiable oils and fats are used in the process such as olive,
coconut, palm, cocoa butter to provide different qualities.
 For example, olive oil provides mildness in soap; coconut oil provides lots of
lather; while coconut and palm oils provide hardness. Sometimes castor oil
can also be used as an ebullient.
 Smaller amounts of unsaponifable oils and fats that do not yield soap are
sometimes added for further benefits.

9.  In cold-process and hot-process soap making, heat may be required
for saponification.
 Cold-process soap making takes place at a sufficient temperature to ensure
the liquification of the fat being used.
 Unlike cold-processed soap, hot-processed soap can be used right away
because the alkali and fat saponify more quickly at the higher temperatures
used in hot-process soap making. Hot-process soap making was used when
the purity of alkali was unreliable.
 Cold-process soap making requires exact measurements of alkali and fat
amounts and computing their ratio, using saponification charts to ensure
that the finished product is mild and skin-friendly.

10.  Soap samples of various brands are taken and their foaming capacity is
noticed.
 Various soap samples are taken separately and their foaming capacity is
observed.
 The soap with the maximum foaming capacity is thus, said to be having the
best cleaning capacity.
 The test requires to be done with distilled water as well as with tap water.
 The test of soap on distilled water gives the actual strength of the soaps
cleaning capacity.
 The second test with tap water tests the effect of Ca2+ and Mg2+ salts on
their foaming capacities.

11.  Objective: To compare the foaming capacity of various soaps.
 Theory: The foaming capacity of soap depends upon the nature of the soap
and its concentration.
 This may be compared by shaking equal volumes of solutions of different
samples having the same concentration with same force for the same amount
of time.
 The solutions are then allowed to stand when the foam produced during
shaking disappears gradually.
 The time taken for the foam to disappear in each sample is determined. The
longer the time taken for the disappearance of the foam for the given sample
of soap, greater is its foaming capacity or cleansing action.

12.  Requirements: Five 100ml conical flasks, five test tubes, 100ml measuring
cylinder, test tube stand, weighing machine, stop watch. Chemical Requirements:
Five different soap samples, distilled water, tap water.
 Procedure:
 1. Take five 100ml conical flasks and number them 1,2,3,4,5. Put 16ml of water
in each flask and add 8 Gms of soap.
 2. Warm the contents to get a solution.
 3. Take five test tubes; add 1ml of soap solution to 3ml of water. Repeat the
process for each soap solution in different test tubes.
 4. Close the mouth of the test tube and shake vigorously for a minute. Do the
same for all test tubes and with equal force.
 5. Start the timer immediately and notice the rate of disappearance of 2mm of
froth.

13.  The following outcomes were noticed at the end of the experiment:
 Test Tube no vol. of soap
solution
vol. of water added Time taken for
disappearance of
2mm
1. Dove 8ml 16ml 11’42”
2. Lux 8ml 16ml 3’28”
3. Tetmosol 8ml 16ml 5’10”
4.Santoor 8ml 16ml 15’32”

14.  The cleansing capacity of the soaps taken is in the order:
 Santoor > Dove > Tetmosol > Lux
 From this experiment, we can infer that Santoor has the highest foaming
capacity, in other words, highest cleaning capacity. Lux, on the other hand is
found to have taken the least amount of time for the disappearance of foam
produced and thus is said to be having the least foaming capacity and cleansing
capacity.
 Test for hardness: In water Test for Ca2+ and Mg2+ salts in the water supplied
Test for Ca2+ in water H2O +NH4Cl + NH4OH + (NH4)2CO3 No precipitate Test
for Mg2+ in water H2O +NH4Cl + NH4OH + (NH4)3PO4 No precipitate The tests
show negative results for the presence of the salts causing hardness in water. The
water used does not contain salts of Ca2+ and Mg2+. The tap water provided is
soft and thus, the experimental results and values hold good for distilled water
and tap water.
 Conclusions: Foaming capacity of soap in maximum in distilled water. The
foaming capacity of soap increases on the addition of Sodium Carbonate.

15.  Parts of this project have been referred from foreign sources and have been included in this
investigatory project after editing. The references of the sources are as follows:
 Books: Together With Lab Manual Chemistry-XII
 Comprehensive Chemistry - 12
 Internet sources:
 www.wikipedia.org
 www.google.com
 www.icbse.org
 www.topperlearning.com
 www.aplustopper.com