Page 222 - Reliance Foundation School Koparkhairane - School Magazine - Zenith 2021-22
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ORIGIN OF SOAPS                                                                                                        we spend a long time selecting one soap? How does one soap differ from the other?

                                                                                                                                   Nowadays soaps available in the market are chemically prepared substances. As
            Rakesh was playing on a playground with his                                                                            the chemical composition varies, the cleansing, texture, and smell of each soap
            friends;  on returning home he washed his                                                                              vary from one another.
            hands and feet with his favourite soap and
            went for eating food. Riya his younger sister                                                                          Soap chemistry has undergone drastic change post-independence. The growing
            was hungry as she was back from her school                                                                             population  and increasing  demands  have given a boost to the manufacturing
            and without washing hands, she sat for                                                                                 industries. Soaps were classified under speciality chemicals. Nowadays we see a
            eating food. What difference does it make to                                                                           variety of soaps like baby soap, perfumed soaps, premium soaps etc. We also have

            wash hands  before  eating food? Cleaning                                                                              now liquid soaps used for shower wash and handwashing.
            hands helps us to keep germs away. Adjacent
            image shares information on how we should wash our hands.                                                              Soaps are manufactured on an
                                                                                                                                   industrial scale as well as on a small           CH OCOR                 CH OH
                                                                                                                                                                                      2
                                                                                                                                                                                                              2
                                              The image on the left shares when we should wash                                     scale. Below  is the  process of                 CHOCOR    3NaOH         CHOH    3RCOONa   Heat
                                              our hands to keep ourselves germ-free. In the modern                                 manufacturing  soaps. This is an                 CH OCOR    Sodium       CH OH     Soap
                                                                                                                                                                                                              2
                                              world  of Artificial  Intelligence  (AI), why has                                    industrial         method           called         2       hydroxide    Glycerol
                                              self-cleanliness suddenly become a priority? Because                                 saponification  reaction. Soaps are             Triglyceride
                                              of the increase in a  variety of  diseases  spreading                                prepared by alkaline hydrolysis  of
                                              globally.                                                                            triglycerides of fats and oils. As this leads to the preparation of soaps it is called a
                                                                                                                                   saponification reaction.
                                              When you ask any person around you, “how do we
                                              clean ourselves?” The immediate answer is by using                                                                                  How soap shows cleaning action?  Soaps
                                              soap and water. On being asked, “which soap do you                                                                                  consist of long carbon chain sodium salts

                                              use?” The  usual answers are Dettol,  Lux,  Santoor,                                                                                of acids. This carbon chain is hydrophobic
                                              Dove, etc. few of which are seen below in the image.                                                                                (water-hating) and the acid  terminal is
                                                                                                                                                                                  hydrophilic         (water-loving).           The
            Do you know what are the common ingredients of soap? The common answer is                                                                                             hydrophobic part surrounds the dirt
            some essential oils, Sodium hydroxide (NaOH) and aromatic agents. Then why do                                                                                         particle and the hydrophilic part gets
                                                                                                                                                                                  attracted towards the water and this helps
                                                                                                                                                                                  to clean the surface.  This process is called

                                                                                                                                                                                  micelle formation.  These soaps do not
                                                                                                                                   show effective action in hard water (Hard water is underground or river water
                                                                                                                                   which contains dissolved  calcium and magnesium salts). These calcium and
                                                                                                                                   magnesium salts  react  with soap and make  it ineffective for cleaning action.
                                                                                                                                   Natural and artificial soaps show effective cleaning action in pure water.
                                                                                                                                   Detergents are also effective in pure water.


                                                                                                                                   The year 2019 marked the spread of COVID and also with that an increase in the

                                                                                                                                   usage of soaps further stressing the importance of hygiene and cleanliness. Soaps are
                                                                                                                                   an effective and easily available way to clean ourselves and stay healthy and happy.


                                                                                                                                   Pratiksha Rajadhyaksha





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