STUDY OF

CONSTITUENTS OF A
TOOTHPASTE

THE ORCHID SCHOOL

2021-22

SUBMITTED BY

NAME : SHAHU BHOYAR

CLASS : XII B
ROLL NO :

1
 The Orchid School, Pune

Certificate

This is to certify that Shahu Bhoyar of class XII has successfully completed
the Chemistry Investigatory Project in the partial fulfilment of curriculum of
Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) leading to award of Annual
Examination of the year 2021 – 2022

External Examiner Teacher-In-Charge

( Krishan Pandey)

Unit Head Principal

( Ashwini Shah ) ( Sangeeta Kapoor )

2
 Acknowledgements :

I would like to express my deep gratitude and sincere thanks to our chemistry teacher Mr.
Krishan Pandey for his constant valuable advice and constructive inputs which enhanced
the quality of my work . This project could not have been completed successfully without
his support .

I would also like to thank my respected principal Ms. Sangeeta Kapoor for giving me
an opportunity to work on such an intriguing topic which has enriched my knowledge . I
take special pleasure in acknowledging our lab assistant Ms. Nikita Tavhare for her
willingness in providing the necessary lab equipment .

Lastly , I would like to thank my parents for their love and guidance without which
nothing can be accomplished .

3
Index

Page. Title

5 Introduction

8 Objective

9 Aim and Theory

10 Material And Chemicals Required

11 Observation

19 Conclusion

20 Bibliography

4
 INTRODUCTION

Toothpaste is a gel or paste type of substance which is applied to a toothbrush to clean the teeth.
This mainly white substance removes particles of food and plaque from your teeth and prevents
bad breath (halitosis) as well.

Toothpaste is a paste or gel to be used with a toothbrush to maintain and improve oral health
and aesthetics. Since their introduction several thousand years ago, toothpaste formulations
have evolved considerably - from suspensions of crushed egg shells or ashes to complex
formulations with often more than 20 ingredients.

Toothpaste contain abrasives to clean and whiten teeth , flavours for the purpose of breath
freshening and dyes for better visual appeal . It is an abrasive that aids in removing dental
plaque and food from teeth . They are generally useful to maintain dental health and preventing
dental diseases like cavities .

Toothpaste can come in gel , paste or powder form . While the ingredients differ slightly , all
toothpaste contain the same general components .

5
 Some Important constituents of toothpaste :

1)Fluoride

This mineral is key to fighting tooth decay. Fluoride makes the enamel of your teeth harder and
more resistant to acid maker. To make sure your toothpaste contains fluoride, check the list of
active ingredients for sodium fluoride, sodium monofluorophosphate or stannous fluoride. Only
these three forms of fluoride are recognized by the Food and Drug Administration for cavity
prevention. And a little fluoride goes a long way: Most toothpastes contain only 0.15% fluoride
ion, or 1500 parts per million.

2) Glycerol

This ingredient keeps toothpaste from drying out, gives it a consistent texture and helps it glide
smoothly from the tube. Although it can go by multiple names — glycerol, glycerin or glycerine
— it’s all the same molecule.

3) Sorbitol

Sorbitol plays two parts: Along with glycerol, it helps hold the toothpaste together, and it’s also
a sweetening agent. Saccharin is another common sweetener. Unlike sugar, however, sorbitol
does no cavities . It can also be used as a sugar substitute for people with diabetes.

6
4) Calcium carbonate

This common abrasive helps remove plaque , debris and surface stains. Abrasives, combined
with the scrubbing motion of your toothbrush, clean the surface of your tooth. They’re the
reason your teeth feel so smooth and clean after brushing. They can also help make your smile
whiter!

Besides calcium carbonate, other types of abrasives in toothpaste include dehydrated silica gels,
hydrated aluminum oxides, magnesium carbonate, phosphate salts and silicates. These abrasives
are rough enough to get the plaque off, but gentle enough to avoid damage to your enamel.

5) Sodium lauryl sulphate

As a surfactant, SLS helps create foam, making it easier to spread the toothpaste around your
mouth. It also helps pull debris and stains away from the surface of teeth. Sodium lauryl suplate
is also known to be anti-bacterial, which helps to slow the growth of plaque in the mouth.

7
 OBJECTIVE :

This particular project requires students to get deeper understanding of the various constituents
of toothpaste , in other words , how and what all substitutes does it require in making of a
toothpaste . What are the various ions present in it and how can we check the presence of the
same .

8
AIM :

To study the constituents of a toothpastes.

THEORY :

Every toothpaste contains the following ingredients:binders , abrasives , subsets , flavours ,

sweeteners , fluorides ,tooth whitener , water . Binders thicken toothpaste i.e they prevent
separation of the slid and liquid component , especially storage .They also effect the speed and
volume of foam production , rate of flavour release and product dispersal , the appearance of
toothpaste ribbon on toothbrush . Some binders are gum solid algina cellulose carrageen and
magnesium aluminium silicate

9
MATERIALS REQUIRED :
Test tubes , test tube holder , Beaker , water , Colgate , Close Up .

CHEMICALS REQUIRED :

Ammonium molybdate , MgSO4 , Conc. H2SO4 , conc. HNO3 , dil. HCl ,

dil. NH4OH , KI , K2CrO4 , NH4Cl , KMnO4 , BaCl2 , K2Cr2O7 , CH3COO ,
(NH4)2SO4 , (NH4)2C2O4 .

OBSERVATION :

10
Test On Close Up
Colour of paste – Red Gel

EXPERIEMENT OBSERVATION INFERENCE

Preliminary Test :
1)Colour Red
2)Odour Methanol like
3)Dry heating test Suffocating smell SO3 2- may be present
4)Flame test Reddish flame Ca2+ may be present
dil. H2SO4 test : Colourless , pungent smell , SO3 2- may be present
To the sample add dil. turned acidifies K2Cr2O7
H2SO4 solution green .

Confirmatory test for S03

2- :
To the O.S add BaCl2 A white ppt is formed. SO3 2- confirmed .
solution
To the above ppt add Light pink colour discharge SO3 2- confirmed
KMnO4 solution .

Group 0 test :
To the sample add NaOH No change . Group 0 absent
solution

Group 1 test :
To the sample add dil. HCl No change Group 1 absent

11
Group 2 test :
To the above solution pass No change Group 2 absent
H2S gas

Group 3 test :
To the sample add NH4OH Brown ppt obtained Group 3 present , Fe3+
and NH4Cl detected

Dissolve the ppt in dil. HCl Prussia blue colour obtained Fe3+ confirmed
and added potassium
ferrocyanide

To the above test tube pass No change Group 4 absent

H2S gas

To the sample add NH4OH White ppt Group 5 present

and (NH4)2CO3 sol.

Dissolve the above ppt in

CH3COO and divide the sol.
In 3 parts

12
 a) To the first part add No change Ba2+ absent
K2CrO4

b) To the second part add No change Sr2+ absent

(NH4)2SO4

c) To the third part add White ppt obtained Ca2+ present

(NH4)2C204 and
NH40H sol .

Group 6 test : No change Mg2+ absent

Took the above filtrate and
add few drops of ammonium
oxalate sol . , boiled and
filtered . Take the ppt , boil ,
add NH4OH , NH4Cl in
excess . Add (NH4)2HPO4
and rub with glass rod

CHEMICAL REACTIONS :
1) MgSO4 + CO3  MgCO3 + SO4(white ppt.)
2) CO3 + 2CH3COOH  (CH3COO)2Ca + H20 3) (COOH)2 + 2CH3COONa 
13
 No reaction .
3)Pb + 2KI  No reaction
4)MgCl2 + (NH3)2HPO4 + NH4OH  Mg(NH4)PO4 + 2NH4 +
H20

Test on Colgate

14
Colour of paste – White

EXPERIEMENT OBSERVATION INFERENCE

Preliminary Test :
1)Colour White
2)Odour Minty Smell
3)Dry heating test Colourless gas evolved CO3 2- May be present
4) Flame test Reddish flame Ca2+ may be present
dil. H2SO4 test :
To the sample add dil. Colourless , odourless CO3 2- may be present
H2SO4 gas .

Confirmatory test :
1)To the sample add White ppt obtained CO3 2- confirmed
MgSO4 solution
2) Took an O.S add Brisk effervescence CO3 2- confirmed
dil. HCl

Independent tests :
1)For SO4 2-
Took the sample and White ppt formed SO4 2- confirmed .
add BaCl2 sol.

2)For PO4 2-
Add conc. HNO3 to Deep yellow colour PO4 2- confirmed
O.S and boil . Add
ammonium molybdate
solution in excess and
boil again .
Group 0 test :
To the sample add No change Group 0 absent .
NaOH

Group 1 test :
To the sample add dil. No change Group I absent
HCl

15
Group 2 test :
Pass the above solution No change Group II absent
through H2S gas

Group 3 test :
Take the sample , add No change Group III absent
NH4Cl , boil , cool and
add NH4OH

Group 4 test :
Pass H2S gas through No change Group IV absent
above solution

Group 5 test :
To the above solution White ppt obtained Group V present
add NH4OH and
ammonium carbonate

Dissolve the above ppt

in CH3COOH and
divide into 3 equal parts

a) To the first part add No change Ba2+ absent

K2CrO4 solution

b) To the second part No change Sr2+ absent

add (NH4)2SO4
solution

c) To the third part add White ppt Ca2+ present

(NH4)2C204 and
NH40H sol .

16
 Group 6 test :
Took the above filtrate No change Mg2+ absent
and add few drops of
ammonium oxalate sol .
, boiled and filtered .
Take the ppt , boil , add
NH4OH , NH4Cl in
excess . Add
(NH4)2HPO4 and rub
with glass rod

CHEMICAL REACTIONS :
1) MgSO4 + CO3  MgCO3 + SO4 (white ppt )
2) CO3 + 2CH3COOH  (CH3COO)2Ca +H20
3) NaHPO4 + MgCl2 + NH4OH  Mg(NH4)PO4 +2NaCl + H20
4) (COOH)2 + 2CH3COONa  No reaction
5) I + AgNO3  NO3 + AgI

17
Comparative inference table :
Toothpaste Ca2+ SO3 2- Fe3+ Mg2+ SO4 2- CO3 2- PO4 2-

18
 Close Up YES YES YES NO NO NO NO

Colgate YES NO NO YES YES YES YES

CONCLUSION :

All the toothpaste contains some of the similar constituents which include fluoride ,
glycerol, sorbitol, etc .Some vital minerals such as calcium , magnesium are required for
stronger and whiter teeth and hence after testing different samples of toothpaste , we
find that ‘Colgate’ has all these vital minerals .

Bibliography :
19
www.thechemistryguru.com
www.researchgate.net
www. deltadentalins.com
www.colgate.com

Books :

Practical chemistry for class XII

NCERT FOR CLASS XII

20