Soaps cleansing properties

These cleansing properties of bases were appreciated in antiquity. For example, in a portion of the Bible probably written in about 1200 bc, a character called Job declares his desire to be clean, saying, If I washed myself with soap and snow, and my hands with washing soda. .. (snow was thought to be especially pure and soda (Na2C03 10H2O) is alkaline and has long been used as a soap). This quote may be found in full in the Bible, see Job 9 30. 

In this Section, we wiU learn about detergents. Two types of detergents are used as cleansing agents. These are soaps and S3mthetic detergents. These improve cleansing properties of water. These help in removal of fats which bind other materials to the fabric or skin. 

The formation of soap scum in hard water led to a search for synthetic materials that would have the cleansing properties of soap, but would not form scum when they encountered calcium and magnesium ions. The synthetic soaps that were developed, known as detergents, are salts of benzene sulfonic acids. Calcium and magnesium sulfonate salts do not form aggregates. Detergent comes from the Latin detergere,... 

Soap owes its remarkable cleansing properties to its ability to act as an emulsifying agent. Because the long hydrocarbon chains of natural soaps are insoluble in water, they tend to cluster in such a way as to minimize their... 

Invert soaps are widely used in hospitals, but for their bactericidal properties rather than their cleansing properties. They are active against bacteria, fungi, and protozoans, but they are not effective against spore-forming microorganisms. One type of invert soap is the family of benzalkonium chlorides. The alkyl groups of these compounds contain from 8 to 16 carbon atoms. These compounds are effective at concentrations of 1 750 to 1 20,000. The more complex benzethonium chloride is also an effective antiseptic. 

For lathering attributes, the use of fatty acids of Cio to C12 chain length is most preferred. The fatty acids of longer chain length, from C16 to Cig, contribute to the cleansing properties of soap. A combination of coconut (C10-C12) and tallow (Ci -Cig) fatty acids thus is most suitable from the viewpoint of consumer-acceptable lathering and cleansing properties of soap. 

Uses SurfactanL fbanr booster, vise, builder, antlslallc agent for bubble baths, hair conditioners, shampoos, baby prods., pet shampoos, hand soaps, cleansing creams and lotions, shower gels, cream rinses Features Compat. with anionic, cationic, nonlonic surfactants Regulatory Europe EINECS, Canada DSL Australia AlCS Properties Cl. liq. APHAcolor 30 dens. 1.043 vise. 16cps f.p. -IOC pH 8.2 (10% aq.) solids 35% 30% act. 

Features Extremely mild to skin exc. lime soap dispersion properties increases cleansing props, of surfactants, esp. when combined with amphoteric surfactants Properties Liq. 39% act. 

The formation of micelles and their properties are responsible for the cleansing action of soaps Water that contains sodium stearate removes grease by enclosing it m the hydrocarbon like interior of the micelles The grease is washed away with the water not because it dissolves m the water but because it dissolves m the micelles that are dis persed m the water Sodium stearate is an example of a soap sodium and potassium salts of other C12-C1S unbranched carboxylic acids possess similar properties... 

Because the core of an aqueous micelle is extremely hydrophobic, it has the abiHty to solubiHze oil within it, as weU as to stabilize a dispersion. These solubilization and suspension properties of surfactants are the basis for the cleansing abiHty of soaps and other surfactants. Furthermore, the abiHty of surfactants to stabilize interfacial regions, particularly the air—water interface, is the basis for lathering, foaming, and sudsing. 

---