Name: Christine Ken Mae N.

Marcellana Date Performed: October 8, 2021

Section: CHEM 17 LAB – M Date Submitted: October 10, 2021

Experiment No. 8

FATS AND OILS: SOAPS AND DETERGENTS

I. Data

1. Saponification of Coconut Oil: Soap Formation

Describe the appearance of the mixture during heating.

The beginning of the heating procedure resulted in the solidification of some white substances on top of
the mixture's surface. The concoction had a hazy appearance with a faint brownish yellow tinge to it. It
also had the appearance of being thick and viscous.

Describe the appearance of the resulting soap.

The beginning of the heating procedure resulted in the solidification of some white substances on top of
the mixture's surface. The concoction had a hazy appearance with a faint brownish yellow tinge to it. It
also had the appearance of being thick and viscous.

B. Comparison between Soaps and Synthetic Detergents

1. Litmus Paper Test

Blue litmus paper Red litmus paper

Soap [alkaline] blue blue
Detergent [neutral] blue red

2. Reaction with acid

Observations
Soap The mixture became hazy and opaque white in hue as it cooled.
Detergent Despite the addition of bubbles to the top layer of the mixture, the
mixture remained slightly foggy with a touch of a faint blue tint.

3. Reaction with soft and hard water

Distilled water NaCl CaCl2

Soap The combination has a The mixture is slightly The combination is
small haze to it, and cloudy, with only a few extremely murky and
there were numerous opaque, with only a

CHEM 20 LAB EXPERIMENT 8 FATS AND OILS; SOAPS AND DETERGENTS

 bubbles on the top bubbles emerging on little amount of bubbles
layer. the surface. visible on the surface.
Detergent When compared to The mixture is slightly The combination is
soap, the combination cloudy and has a light slightly foggy and has a
is slightly cloudy and blue hue to it, with light blue color to it,
has a pale blue tint with some bubbles emerging with bubbles appearing
fewer bubbles. on the surface of the on the surface of the
top layer of the liquid.
mixture.

4. Emulsifying action

Distilled water + kerosene
Soap mixture + kerosene
Detergent mixture + kerosene
Observations
When the distilled water was put to the kerosene, the water settled
to the bottom of the container and did not mix with the kerosene at
any point. Even after shaking, the consistency of the combination
remained unchanged.
Adding the soap combination to the kerosene resulted in the soap
mixture settling at the bottom of the test tube and not mixing with
the petroleum in any way. As a result of the shaking, the mixture
became cloudy and appeared to have layers to it. The bottom layer
had a tint that was slightly blurry. The intermediate layer has a higher
degree of transparency than the bottom layer. The top layer was
slightly blurry and had a subtle yellow tint to it. It was the most visible
layer.
As a result of the addition of the detergent to the kerosene, the
majority of the detergent became mixed with the kerosene, leaving
only a little amount of kerosene on top of the mixture. Following the
shaking, the majority of the mixture transformed into an opaque
white tint that is primarily composed of bubbles. Only the bottom
layer appeared to be in a condition of liquidity.

C. Chemical Properties of Oils

1. Reaction with bromine

No. of drops to make the mixture faint yellow

Coconut oil The coconut oil turned a subtle yellow color once the first 5 drops
were added. The mixture became a darker shade of yellow after the
11th drop was added. The liquid turned orange after 21 drops were
added.
Corn oil It was at 30-40 drops into the mixture when the liquid began to take
on a golden hue. After 60 or so drops, it had a faint yellow tint to it,
which was OK. The pale yellow tint of the mixture remained after
around 100-120 drops were added. After another 20 drops, the
mixture had turned a vibrant orange color.

CHEM 20 LAB EXPERIMENT 8 FATS AND OILS; SOAPS AND DETERGENTS

2. Drying oils

Observations
Coconut oil There is a foggy white tint to the liquid, and it is less viscous than the
linseed oil mixture.
Linseed oil The combination has a vivid orange color and is extremely viscous.

II. Questions

1. Is the soap-water mixture a true solution? Cite an example to support your answer. What is a colloidal
mixture? How does a colloidal mixture arise when soap is mixed with water?

A colloidal solution, rather than a real solution, is formed when soap and water are combined. A genuine
solution is a simple mixture of sugar and water that results in a homogeneous solution when mixed
together. It is a heterogeneous mixture in which the particle sizes of a substance are intermediate
between real solution and suspension, which is referred to as colloidal solution. A genuine homogenous
mixture is not formed when soap and water are combined because of the presence of hydrocarbons in
the soap and water. Micelles are spherical aggregates formed by the attraction of these molecules to one
another. In the direction of the water, which is responsible for forming the exterior phase, lipophilic heads
persist.

2. Based on the litmus test, are the soap-water and detergent-water mixtures respectively acidic, basic,
or neutral? Explain the difference, if any, in the reactions of soap-water and detergent-water mixtures
to litmus paper.

It is possible to determine the alkalinity of both soap-water and detergent-water mixes by reacting them
with litmus paper. Soaps undergo a hydrolysis reaction when they are hydrated, which causes them to
become alkaline. It is used in conjunction with detergent-water mixes, but to a lower extent.

3. Based on your observations, what are the shortcomings of soap that are overcome by synthetic
detergents?

According to our observations, soap does not perform well when used with hard water. It results in a
smaller or lessened amount of lather. In addition, soap is less effective in saline and acidic water,
respectively. Synthetic detergents, on the other hand, can make up for these deficiencies because they
function extremely well with hard water and can be used in both saline and acidic water.

4. Which would you predict to have a greater emulsifying power in “hard” water, soaps or synthetic
detergent?

Because of the presence of the sulfonate group in detergents, we estimate that the synthetic detergent
will have stronger emulsifying ability in hard water than the natural detergent. Hard water does not form
films because the sulfonate group does not react with the magnesium ions and calcium in the water.

5. Explain the cleansing property of soaps and detergent-based on your observations of their emulsifying
action.

According to our observations, soap is only partially miscible with kerosene since there is still a visible
layer of water on the surface, whereas synthetic detergent is entirely miscible with kerosene because

CHEM 20 LAB EXPERIMENT 8 FATS AND OILS; SOAPS AND DETERGENTS

there is no visible layer of water on the top. However, as demonstrated in the experiment, soaps have
less emulsifying strength against oil or grease, and so are less effective at holding them in suspension in
water, than detergents, which have a larger emulsifying power than soaps

6. Briefly explain the solubility of coconut oil in water and chloroform.

The solubility of a substance is the same as the rule "like dissolves like," which basically indicates that a
solute will dissolve better in a solvent that has a structure that is similar to that of the solvent. Due to the
fact that water is a polar solvent, coconut oil is insoluble in water. Coconut oil, on the other hand, is a
nonpolar solvent.

7. Which of the samples tested with bromine reagent contain a higher proportion of unsaturated fatty
acids? Explain your answer based on the experimental data.

A low bromine number suggests that there are few unsaturated bonds, hence corn oil contains a higher
proportion of unsaturated fatty acids than other oils because it required a greater amount of bromine to
alter its color from dark yellow to faint yellow.

8. Which of the samples tested for drying action can be used as an ingredient of paints and varnishes?
Suggest another oil that can be used for the same purpose. Consult standard references for the fatty
acid composition of oils.

An other type of oil that can be used as an ingredient in paints and varnishes is Tung oil, also known as
Chinese wood oil, which has a higher viscosity than other types of vegetable oils. For its numerous
features, including excellent water resistance, good alkali resistance, a unique drying speed, and chemical
resistance, this oil would be an excellent ingredient in current varnish production. Tung oil is constituted
primarily of triene acid and aeleostearic acid, which account for 69 percent of its composition.

CHEM 20 LAB EXPERIMENT 8 FATS AND OILS; SOAPS AND DETERGENTS