71 DETERGENTS

Soap was the first detergent

Water dissolves dirt, however oily dirt will not
dissolve in water.
Detergents help oil to dissolve in water.
Soap was used as the first detergent.
Romans made soap by boiling animal fat with wood
ash.
Now soap is made from oils which smell pleasant
(palm oil) which is boiled with potassium
hydroxide solution.

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Detergent molecules are attracted to both water and oil
Oil will not dissolve in water.
Oil molecules are hydrophobic water hating.
Detergent molecules are made up of a head and a tail.
The heads are hydrophilic attracted to water.
The tails are hydrophobic attracted to oil.

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Detergent molecules are attracted to both water
and oil
The hydrophobic tails are attracted to oil and bury
themselves in the oil.
The hydrophilic heads are attracted to water.
The detergent molecules pull the oil into a round
droplet which can float in the water.
The detergent helps the grease to form an emulsion
a mixture of tiny droplets of one liquid in another.

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Many modern
detergents

detergents

are

soapless

Soaps used to be made of sodium/potassium

hydroxide and animal/plant oils.
Now most detergents are made using by products of
oil refining.
These are called soapless detergents they are better
than soaps.
Soap forms scum in hard water, which doesnt
dissolve in water.

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Detergents and pollution
The first soapless detergents caused pollution problems.
Bacteria and sewage systems couldnt break them down,
causing foaming in rivers and streams.
Biodegradable detergents can now be broken down by
bacteria less likely to cause foaming in rivers.
Many detergents contain phosphates a good dirt cleaner.
When they get into rivers, they act as fertilisers, which
encourage the growth of water plants, which use up
the oxygen in the water.