Thread: The Chemistry of Soap

acronym for me ? SAD.....Soap and Disasters!!!! if you've been reading the other thread! lol...

What does SAD stand for?

Colleen

Hi Colleen. SAD = Soap Acquisition Disorder, RAD = razors, HAD = hones, SIAD shaving items (I came up with this one but some one might have before me). So many new ones for the shrinks to worry about

Originally Posted by FiReSTaRT

Hi Colleen. SAD = Soap Acquisition Disorder, RAD = razors, HAD = hones, SIAD shaving items (I came up with this one but some one might have before me). So many new ones for the shrinks to worry about

Too bad firestart has them all I am afriad.. I believe he needs some treatment soon, or he will wither away on a bed of soap cake bubbles.

Don't forget the metal chips and slurry

RAD and SBAD (Shaving Brush Acq Dis) are the two that bite the budget!

RT

I hope it's a fad but I have RAD and MAD (mug aquisition disorder) pretty bad with a tad of BAD (brush AD) and I'm getting SAD (soap AD).

Egad!

LOL....

Ya know...I knew there was something different about me, and the SAD explains the whole thing...Its true, I do have SOAP ACQUISITION DISORDER !!!!

Colleen

My wife's a psychologist so I'll have to ask if there is any treatment. My guess, though, is that those with SAD will just become...wash outs

Originally Posted by Damon

Thanks Colleen,
I enjoyed you post hope to hear more.

This is a bit off topic but I remember a friend telling me to use a little soap (a few drops) in bug spray, it breaks the surface tension on the leaves of plants so it adheres better.

Damon,
Quite true. Very similar to Colleen's example of water beading up on the hood of her car, water beads up on plant leaves because the cuticle (outside layer) is primarily a waxy substance. The soap, or detergent, or oil is often added to 'wet' the surface of the leaf. It breaks the surface tension of the water and causes the water to spread out over the entire surface of the leaf.

FWIW,
Ed

Good Morning Gents!

I wanted to say Thank You for Interest! and its nice to see Familiar Faces as well as some new ones...


"Soap vs Detergent" but first a small glossary of terms.

Acid or Fatty Acid= oils or fats aka olive oil, coconut oil, tallow, sunflower etc.

Alkali = Sodium Hydroxide (NaOH) and Potassium Hydroxide (KOH)

Hard Water = has a high mineral content (more on this later)

Soft Water= low mineral content

Soap = when an acid and an alkali are brought together they form soap, this process is also called "Saponification"

Detergent = A petroleum based surfactant "other than soap". Developed during WWII when soap making oils were scarce.

Surfactant = surface active agent. Works by reducing the surface tension of a liquid in which it is dissolved ( think of Laundry Detergent )

Chelator = Bonds or ties up Minerals in Hard Water.....Soap molecules are not able to distingish the difference between dissolved minerals and the dirt they are supposed to capture with their tails.



You may well ask why soap, which served so well for so many years, was eventually displaced. Soaps are cheap and they are manufactured from a renewable source, whereas many of the synthetic detergents are made from petrochemicals. Soaps are also biodegradable; that is, they are readily broken down by bacteria, and thus do not pollute rivers. However, due to their gelling properties, soaps do have a greater tendency to clog sewer reticulation systems than synthetic detergents.

But the most important reason for the displacement of soap is the fact that, when a carboxylic acid soap is used in Hard water, precipitation occurs. The calcium and magnesium ions, which give hardness to the water, form insoluble salts with the fatty acid in soap and a curd-like preciptate occurs and settles....( otherwise known as the ring around the tub)

My Insert * now this may seem trivial...until you consider the population our world, our water treatment systems, sewer systems, your dishwasher, washing machine and the kitchen sink.

If everyone in the world used a True soap....lol, oh my....why we'd clog up the world.. sorry....its just a bizarre thought! So those of you who learn about the advantages of real soap vs detergents consider yourselves lucky....because it really is true that on a whole, we as a world can't use soap anymore.....

Now alot of the information I've been able to glean actually comes from the Laundry Detergent world, the above paragraphs come from Tide www.tide.com and its an interesting read, especially the part about "corrosion inhibitors"....geez I didn't know that! Of course Laundry Detergent has absolutely nothing to do with washing our bodies, but there is another class of detergents known as "Bath Bars", "Syndet Bars" and "Deoderant Bars". Take a closer look at the front label when go to the store next time.....Does it actually say the word Soap...?????

This is the "soap" we buy at the store.....but they are not "true" soaps....they are a combination of surfactants and chelators. But when you read the above paragraphs from Tide.....it is more easily understood from a manufacturing point of view that in order to produce a product that is effective, will work in all types of water and won't clog up pipes.

The first forerunner of synthetic surfactants was actually produced in 1834 in the form of sulfated castor oil, which was used in the textile industry.

and Synthetic Detergents were born during WWI, created from the need to find another way to make soap, due to the shortage of oils and fats. WAR revolutionized the soapmaking industry!!!!! Yippee Ki-Ay, and I'll leave off the other part Its kinda sad, really .....but then you back to issue of the world population....and all those clogged up pipes.

Next week....Hard Water vs Soft

XXWarm Regards, Colleen