Lab Report: Soap Making via Cold Process

Abstract— The experiment deals with the chemical reaction called Saponification, which is used to make soap, a salt. In this experiment, the experimenter could create an actual soap product while understanding the Saponification process. Better understanding of the Saponifcation process would mean better knowledge in the study of chemical reactions.

Keywords— Saponification, chemical reaction, salt, process, soap.

I.      Introduction

Soaps are one of the most common commodities in life. It is used as a surfactant for washing, bathing, and cleansing. The creation of soap has been going on for more than centuries, starting from the Romans up until now. The process remains unchanged and this process is called Saponification.

Saponification is a chemical reaction between a base and an acid. That being said, this experiment was done in order to observe and explain the Saponification process, and to come up with an actual soap product.

II.   Materials and Method

A.    Materials

·     Laboratory Materials

Ø  2 500 mL Beakers

Ø  1 100 mL Graduated Cylinder

Ø  1 Thermometer

Ø  1 Stirring Rod

Ø  1 Timer  

Ø  1 Plastic Basin

Ø  1 Stainless Steel Bowl

Ø  1 Hot Plate

·     Other Materials

Ø  10g Lye

Ø  77mL Cooking Oil/Vegetable Oil

Ø  1 Plastic Mold

Ø  Rubber gloves

Ø  Distilled Water

B.    Procedure

Ø  First, the experimenter poured the cooking oil/vegetable oil unto the graduated cylinder, to get the exact measurement of 77mL.

Ø  After measuring, the experimenter placed the 77mL cooking oil/vegetable in a beaker and then heated it using the hot plate until it reached 60 Celsius; this was to make sure that the 77mL cooking oil/vegetable oil would still be in prime temperature, 50 Celsius, when it is finally mixed with the Lye. The temperature was measured using the thermometer.

Ø  Next, the experimenter had to measure 23mL of distilled water using the graduated cylinder. The graduated cylinder must be clean of the remnants from step one.

Ø  The experimenter then, in a separate beaker, dissolved the 10 grams of Lye in the 23mL distilled water from step three by gradually dropping the Lye and stirring the solution, using the stirring rod. Once the Lye was dissolved its temperature was 50 Celsius. The temperature was measured using the thermometer.

Ø  After that, the experimenter had to transfer the heated oil in a plastic basin; once both mixtures have the same temperature of 50 Celsius. Then, the experimenter gradually poured the Lye solution in the basin and stirred it consistently for 11 minutes.

Ø  The experimenter, after the mixture had thickened, then transferred the mixture into the plastic mold and let it set for about 24-48 hours.

C.    Safety Precautions

Ø  Lye is a caustic chemical that can burn one’s skin. Protective clothing must be worn.

Ø  The experimenters should have vinegar by their side. As to neutralize the Lye if ever it spills or comes in contact with skin.

Ø  Dispose the chemical substances in the proper containers.

Ø  Handle the laboratory apparatuses with care so as not to break it.

III. Results

After performing the experiment, the following data were collected.

TABLE I

Observations

Time Elapsed	Changes in the Solution
	Discoloration	Consistency
6 minutes	Yellowish	Very watery
7 minutes	Yellowish	Watery
9 minutes	Light yellow	Less watery
11 minutes	Light yellow	Slightly thick

IV. Analysis and Discussion

The whole process of Saponification basically revolves around the base and the acid, which when combined forms a salt. For this experiment, Saponification is shown via the combination of canola oil, an acid, and lye, a base, to then create soap, which is a salt.

This entire process involves a lot of thinking before the actual experiment. The reason to this is because one must always have to consider the makeup of the acid and the base being used.

The base should always have one hydroxide ion. Hydroxide ion is a negatively charged molecule which when dissolved in water is an incredibly strong base. That is why the experimenters used lye. Lye is made up of one sodium ion and one hydroxide ion, the sodium ion though is not involved in the reaction.

The acid, on the other hand, can take form into different types but either way most types of acids will react with the base, then causing the reactants to saponify. Each types of acid, though, reacts differently to the base, lye.

The amount of base needed in order for it to react with the given acid depends on the acid’s chemical makeup. The reaction happens, however, only when the mixture is being stirred. As the mixture is being stirred, the acid and the base then finally react and first creates the chemical reaction called glycerol, which produces glycerin, a skin nourishing agent, and then allows the fatty acids to combine with the hydroxide ion of the base, which creates the chemical reaction, Saponification, and causes soap to be formed.

This experiment highly relies in the stirring of the acid and base mixture, for the stirring is what causes the reactants to react.  The longer the mixture is stirred, the thicker the mixture gets, and the more time the two reactants get to react.

That being said, one of the errors committed in this experiment by the experimenters is their short amount of time focused in stirring. Because of that the consistency of the mixture is not very thick. Their lack of time was caused by their late start in combining the acid and the base.

Therefore, the future experimenters who will also do this experiment should have good time management and clear details of how they are going to proceed with the experiment. Good time management would lead to more time allotted to stirring the mixtures which will then give more time for the reactants to react which will lead to a thicker consistency for the mixture and a better result or product.

V.    Conclusions

With the observations and newfound knowledge gathered, the experimenter who wrote this lab report therefore concludes that the Saponification process involves a lot of pre-experimental thinking and time management. Due to this experiment, the experimenter has learned a lot about Saponification and lastly, the experimenter was able to create soap.

References

[1] Study.com. (n.d.). Hydroxide ion: definition and formula. Retrieved March 13, 2016, from http://study.com/academy/lesson/hydroxide-ion-definition-formula.html.

[2] Homepage. (n.d). Making soap – saponification. Retrieved March 13, 2016, from http://homepage.smc.edu/walker_muriel/making_soap_Procedure.html.

[3] Hoegger Goat Supply. (2011).  Saponification explained. Retrieved March 13, 2016, from http://hoeggerfarmyard.com/the-farmyard/soap-making-2/saponification-explained/.

[4] Soap Making Resource. (n.d). Soap safety guide. Retrieved March 13, 2016, from http://www.soap-making-resource.com/soap-safety.html.

[5] Soap Making Resource. (n.d.). Cold process soap making tutorial a lesson in lye soap making. Retrieved March 13, 2016, from http://www.soap-making-resource.com/cold-process-soap-making.html.

Digital Log Sheet: March 3 - 4, 2016

Twitter Account	No. of Tweets	Tweet Observations
CNN (@CNN)	030316: 137 030416: 104 Total: 241	CNN’s tweets were all professional. Most of the tweets in CNN were all about the current affairs and news. Almost all the tweets, from the dates March 3 to March 4 of 2016, were all about the Presidential Elections and the candidates, specifically, Mr. Donald Trump. Other tweets were of different topics ranging from new scientific discoveries to sports. We followed the link of the tweet that was about the water crisis in Flint. We discovered the immense situation that the people in Flint live with due to their water contamination problem. We read the story about “How massive volcanoes gave Mars a makeover”. We read this particular story because we were interested on how those volcanoes affected Mars and how it gave Mars a makeover. We were surprised at the number of tweets that CNN had. We knew that it was a news outlet and that it would probably have a lot of tweets but we definitely did not expect it to have that amount of tweets per day.

Ainna Roxas (@ainnaroxas_)

030316: 0 030416: 3 Total: 3

Almost all of her tweets are personal. One of her humorous tweets, although it is just a retweet, is the “bukcetlist”. She didn’t have included links in her tweets, for the dates March 3 and March 4 of 2016. We weren’t exactly surprised with what her tweets were about. We expected her tweets to be personal and somewhat humorous as well.

Gabriela (@gabrielaphils)	030316: 2 030416: 1 Total: 3	The Gabriela Organization’s tweets were all professional. Most of the tweets in their account, in the dates March 3 and March 4 of 2016, were about the societal issues in the Philippines and also their tweets were about encouraging people to be aware. We followed the link of the tweet that was discussing about the number of Filipino families who were experiencing hunger.  We, because of that link, found an invitation regarding the #Rise2March8 event. Nothing actually surprised us in our findings with regards to the Gabriela Organization’s tweets. We had already expected that the posts in this twitter account would most likely be tweets that were meant to empower and support women.
Camila Cabello (@camilacabello97)	030316: 22 030416: 3 Total: 25	Some of the tweets were professional but it is mixed with personal tweets as well. Nothing is noteworthy. We followed a link that would lead to the Fifth Harmony website. We saw promotions for their new song. Camila’s tweets surprised us because she still easily speaks her mind even though people could publicly judge her for it.

Spanish Electives: Field Trip Reflection

The field trip was incredibly fun and very much enlightening. We went to different places that not only made us discover and learn about the culture of Spain but also it made us appreciate the beauty that is the Spanish culture. The field trip was definitely, without a doubt, one of the highlights of my first year of stay here in St. Paul.

          

 The first place we went to was Intramuros. There we saw some old buildings and churches that very much represented to us how much Spain influenced the Philippines’ culture and history.  I, along with five other of my Elective classmates, even rode a kalesa and had a short tour of Intramuros. We also got to meet a Spanish nun in one of the congregations there. That meeting actually sparked something in me. It honestly made me want to learn how to speak Spanish more. Hearing an actual native Spaniard speak Spanish face to face was just wow. It made me appreciate the language itself more.

          

After that quick trip to Intramuros, we then went to Green Belt 5 to eat at a restaurant called, Tapaella. When we were there the chef actually gave us a few back stories about each of the dishes he served to us. After that we got off to the bus and then returned to SPCP.

All in all, the field trip was very memorable and fun for me. It not only made me appreciate the Spanish culture but it also made me want to know more about it.

The New Dress: Storyboard Explanation

1	In this scene, Mabel is about to receive her invitation to the Dalloway party.  The mailman addresses Mabel as “Mrs. Hubert Waring”. This was meant to show the Patriarchy in the 20th century.
2	Mabel is very surprised that she received an invitation to the party. The Dalloway’s parties are considered to be very important events and everyone wants to go there. Mabel’s surprise is supposed to indicate that she rarely receives letters like these because of her social stand in society. This scene was meant to indicate the separation of economic segregation in the 20th century.
3	For this scene, Mabel is looking for a dress that would make her seem original. Mabel wants to look dignified, womanly, and classy. She sees all these characteristics in the yellow dress, so she chooses it. Miss Millan then goes on to create it and then after the lights out, Mabel is wearing the dress and she feels wonderful. Miss Millan’s heartfelt compliments make her feel even better.  In this scene we are finally introduced to the mirror. For this part, the mirror is an amicable object. It grants Mabel happiness, content, and a new sense of confidence. Here we are introduced to how women in the 20th century valued fashion and how in this century, clothes and fashion were a very important object because what you wear would indicate who you are and what you are.
4	Mabel is nervous to go inside the party. She is having this short moment of doubt but she immediately overcomes this, remembering how wonderful she looked at Miss Millan’s drawing room. She crushes these doubts she has and she goes on to knock the door, she is then greeted by a maid, Mrs. Barnet. Mabel immediately becomes self-conscious because of Mrs. Barnet’s attitude towards her; she again starts getting nervous and flustered. This becomes worse when Mrs. Barnet hands her a mirror, claiming that she thinks that Mabel would need it. This meeting though very short is what sparks the “return” of Mabel’s insecurities and what causes her to feel insecure the whole night. The mirror is seen once again but this time it will prove to be a terrible object that would evoke many negative thoughts from Mabel. This scene is also meant to showcase how some women viewed fellow women. Economic segregation is seen once again via Mrs. Barnet and her attitude towards Mabel. Though, she lower than Mabel in terms of economic stand, her attitude towards Mabel only signifies that people like Mabel are not accepted or just not usually invited to parties like these.
5	After her encounter with Mrs. Barnet, Mabel holds on to the mirror for the rest of the night. Her insecurities becoming more and more powerful as she interacts with the people in the party. They are all pretty polite with her but for her they are all just saying lies. Her breaking point is when Charles Burt actually said out loud that she was wearing a new dress. Again, this scene showed the constant power of the mirror over Mabel. Other than that, Rose Shaw and Mabel’s interaction with her, actually one again showcases how some women viewed fellow women and how people actually always tried to be at the height of fashion. Rose Shaw also emits the qualities of “the perfect woman” back in the 20th century.  Robert Haydon and Charles Burt, on the other hand, symbolize patriarchy. Their opinions, especially Charles’, had a huge effect on Mabel. This is to show how women valued men’s opinions because of the patriarchal system in the 20th century.
6	This is an imagination. In this scene, the effects of Charles Burt’s comment are seen. Mabel is bombarded with insults and chidings by other guests in the party. She begs for them to stop and she goes on about how she didn’t plan to live a life like this. In this scene, we are given a glimpse inside Mabel’s head. This is meant to show the effect of the comments she heard back in the fifth scene.
7	This is an imagination. Mabel is talking about how planned her life to be. She wanted to explore the world and travel to places like India and wanted to dance with heroes like Sir Lawrence. But all these dreams of her were not fulfilled. Her life was bombarded with misfortune after misfortune causing her to go safe and marry Hubert with an underling’s job and to stay at home with only simple things like bread and butter. But in this moment of negativity, she manages to remember the positive moments in her life and she then starts to get excited for tomorrow to get more of those moments. She becomes excited to leave the party. This scene is to show the lack of information the people had about India at that time. India in the 20th century was fighting for its Independence and as a result there were protests, massacres, and imprisonments almost everywhere. Other than that, this scene also goes to show to state of people with lower economic stands.
8	Mabel is now saying good bye to the host, Mrs. Dalloway. Mrs. Dalloway asks her to stay but Mabel insists that she already wants to leave. This scene shows how excited Mabel is after she came up with a plan to get those “moments” again. This is Mabel slowly breaking away again from her sadness and inferiority.
9	Mabel is already outside of the house and she is laughing. She holds her mirror up to look at her face and she starts to cry while she is laughing claiming that the fly is in the saucer once again and that it seems it never left anyways. This part is where we actually get to see how mad Mabel really is, how her insecurities are eating her up inside, and how her thoughts of positivity from earlier are nothing but just a lie. Again, the mirror proves to be a powerful force of negativity and sadness. All in all, Mabel symbolizes the people of Britain in the 20th century. She symbolizes the mad, the hurt, the insecure, the poor, the economic segregation, the broken, the desire to be fashionable, the depression, and the false positivity.

Social Issues Presented:
Patriarchy
Sexism
Classism
Gender and Class Restrictions
Economic Segregation

References:

1. 20^th Century London. (n.d.). Home and family. Retrieved March 6, 2016, from http://www.20thcenturylondon.org.uk/theme/home-family.

2. Azad, A. (2011). The new dress. Retrieved February 2, 2016, from http://iranian.com/main/2011/dec/new-dress.html.

3. BBC. (2014). Everyday life in the 20^th century. Retrieved March 6, 2016, from http://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/ks3/history/20th_century/life_20th_century/revision/5/.

4. Gresham College. (2010). Britain in the 20^th century – progress and decline: the character of twentieth        century Britain. Retrieved March 6, 2016, from http://www.gresham.ac.uk/lectures-and-events/britain- in-the-20th-century-progress-and-decline-the-character-of-twentieth.

5. Lambert, T. (2014). A brief history of India. Retrieved March 6, 2016, from http://www.localhistories.org/india.html.

6. Lambert, T. (2015). Daily life in Britain in the 20^th century. Retrieved March 6, 2016, from http://www.localhistories.org/20thcent.html.

7. Mantex. (2016). The new dress. Retrieved February 2, 2016, from http://www.mantex.co.uk/2013/10/13/the-new-dress/.