WITH TWENTY-SEVEN ILLUSTRATIONS
LONDON
SCOTT, GREENWOOD & SON
"THE OIL AND COLOUR TRADES JOURNAL" OFFICES
8 BROADWAY, LUDGATE HILL, E.C.
1908
[All rights reserved]
Transcriber's note:
Footnotes have been moved to the end of the chapter and minor typos havebeen corrected.
In the general advance of technical knowledge and research during thelast decade, the Soap Industry has not remained stationary. While therehas not perhaps been anything of a very revolutionary character, steadyprogress has still been made in practically all branches, and the aim ofthe present work is to describe the manufacture of Household and ToiletSoaps as carried out to-day in an up-to-date and well-equipped factory.
In the more scientific portions of the book, an acquaintance with theprinciples of elementary chemistry is assumed, and in this we feeljustified, as in these days of strenuous competition, no soap-maker canhope to compete successfully with his rivals unless he has a soundtheoretical as well as practical knowledge of the nature of the rawmaterials he uses, and the reactions taking place in the pan, or atother stages of the manufacture. We also venture to hope that the workmay prove useful to Works' Chemists and other Analysts consulted inconnection with this Industry.
At the same time, in the greater part of the book no chemical knowledgeis necessary, the subject being treated in such a way that it is hopedthose who are not directly engaged in the manufacture of soap, but whodesire a general idea of the subject, will find it of value.
In the sections dealing with the composition and analysis of materials,temperatures are expressed in degrees Centigrade, these being now almostinvariably used in scientific work. In the rest of the book, however,they are given in degrees Fahrenheit (the degrees Centigrade being alsoadded in brackets), as in the majority of factories these are stillused.
As regards strengths of solution, in some factories the use of Baumédegrees is preferred, whilst in others Twaddell degrees are the custom,and we have therefore given the two figures in all cases.[Pg iv]
In the chapter dealing with Oils and Fats, their SaponificationEquivalents are given in preference to Saponification Values, as it hasbeen our practice for some years to express our results in this way, assuggested by Allen in Commercial Organic Analysis, and all ourrecords, from which most of the figures for the chief oils and fats aretaken, are so stated.
For the illustrations, the authors are indebted to Messrs. E. Forshaw &Son, Ltd., H. D. Morgan, and W. J. Fraser & Co., Ltd.
W. H. S.
H. A. A.
London, September, 1908.
PAGE
CHAPTER I.
Introduction. 1
Definition of Soap—Properties—Hydrolysis—Detergent Action.
CHAPTER II.
Constitution of Oils and Fats, and their Saponification 6
Researches of Chevreul and Berthel