The Effect of Coconut Oil Concentrations on SoapSara Sheridan

Question

• How do different concentrations of coconut oil used in the saponification process affect the cleaning abilities of soap?

Background Information • First records of soap were found in Egyptian ruins • Base• Soap: salt of a fatty acid• Saponification: process through which soap is made• Natural saponification: glycerin is not removed• Purification of soap requires sodium hydroxide• Soap molecules are essentially fatty acid chains• Soap is used to remove dirt and oils from other solutions and

surfaces

Hypothesis

• If three different concentrations of coconut oil are used during saponification then the highest concentrated soap will be the most effective and produce the most amount of suds.

Materials• Coconut oil• Sodium hydroxide solution, 3 M• Distilled water• Stirring rod• Supersaturated sodium chloride solution • Cheesecloth • Filter paper • Soap mold• Peppermint oil• (1) 500 mL graduated cylinders• 3 (50) mL graduated cylinders• 3(200) mL graduated cylinders• Stirring rods• Beaker tongs• Hot plate• Parafilm• Goggles• Gloves

Procedure (Saponification)• Place 10 mL coconut oil and 15 mL of 3 M sodium hydroxide into a

100-mL beaker• Using a hot plate, heat the mixture to a gentle boil. Stir constantly

for twenty minutes.• Wash this crude soap mixture with 15 mL of distilled water and 5

mL of hot saturated sodium chloride (“salting out” the soap).• Break up lumps of soap with a stirring rod• Decant the wash solution by pouring it through the cheesecloth.• Repeat the washing procedure twice.• After the last washing, press the soap between two pieces of filter

paper to expel as much water as possible• Add a few drops of peppermint oil, pack it into the soap mold, and

let it dry overnight.• Unmold the soap and test its sudsing ability.

Procedure (Sudsing)• Mix .5 grams of each variation of soap with 10 mL of water in

a 50 mL graduated cylinder• Cover the graduated cylinder with Parafilm • Shake consistently for 2 minutes straight• Measure volume of suds

Variables• Independent:

• Amount of coconut oil in concentrated solutions (10 mL, 20 mL, 30 mL)

• Dependent: • Suds produced from shaken soap and water solution (measured in mL)

• Constants:• Time coconut oil solution was boiled• Type of coconut oil• Concentration of salt in salt water solution • Boiling times throughout various procedures• Clean tools (beakers, rod, filter papers, cheese cloth, mold)• Amount of water used in sudsing procedure

• Control• None used

10 mL 20 mL 30mL0

5

10

15

20

25

Effectiveness of Coconut Oil Concentrate on Cleansing

Trial 1 Trial 2 Trial 3

Amount of Coconut Oil Concentrate Soap

Suds

Pro

duce

d (m

L)

10 mL 20 mL 30mL0

2

4

6

8

10

12

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Average Effectiveness of Coconut Oil Concentrates on Cleans-ing

Series1

Amount of Coconut Oil

Amou

nt o

f Sud

s Pro

duce

d (m

L)

Variables• Temperature of water during saponification process• Temperature of water during testing process• Consistency of shaking• Purity of coconut oil• Temperature of coconut oil solution • 10 mL of coconut oil did not produce enough soap for

sufficient or equal trials

Conclusion • It can be concluded that the soap with the highest

concentration of coconut oil produced the most suds. This suggests that the fattier a soap is, the more able it is to dissolve oils and dirt from other solutions. The 30 mL concentration produced the most suds therefore supporting the hypothesis.

• The qualitative results also suggest that the more oil in soap, the more easily it dissolves.

• To further this experiment, the sodium hydroxide solution could be boiled at different increments and/or the crude soap could be washed more or less times.

Works Cited

Addison, Keith. "Glycerine: Journey to Forever." Journey to Forever: Hong Kong to Cape Town Overland - An Adventure in Environment and Development, Join

Us on the Internet, All Welcome, Participation, Online Education, School Projects, Free of Charge. Web. 24 Feb. 2011. <http://journeytoforever.org/biodiesel_glycerin.html>. Bellis, Mary. "The History of Soap and Detergent." Inventors. Web. 24 Feb. 2011. <http://inventors.about.com/library/inventors/blsoap.htm>. Hallenstine, Anne M. "Soap and Saponification - Chemistry." Chemistry - Periodic

Table, Chemistry Projects, and Chemistry Homework Help. 2001. Web. 24 Feb. 2011. <http://chemistry.about.com/library/weekly/blsapon.htm>.

"Saponification: Soap Making, Old Fashioned Style." ChemLab. 2009. Web. Nov. 2010. <http://chemlab.truman.edu/CHEM100Labs/SAPONIFICATION.pdf>. "Synthesis of Soap." Chemistry. 2008. Web. 24 Feb. 2011. <http://www.chem.latech.edu/~deddy/chem122m/L06U00Soap122.htm>. Whyte, David B. "The Chemistry of Clean: Make Your Own Soap to Study Soap Synthesis." Science Fair Project Ideas, Answers, & Tools. 2010. Web. 24 Feb. 2011. <http://www.sciencebuddies.org/science-fair-projects/project_ideas/Chem_p096.shtml>.

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