New Jersey Chemistry Olympics - 2009

Event 8: Analytical Chemistry Lab

Preparation of a Soap from a Vegetable Oil or an Animal Fat

This event is limited to the first 24 entries

Making soap from naturally occurring triglycerides is, arguably, among the oldest organic reactions. Triglycerides from different sources have been used to impart unique characteristics on the soap such as making the soap more gentle or producing more luxurious lather. Sources of triglycerides used to make soaps include vegetable oils such as olive oil, castor oil, palm oil or sunflower oil, or rendered animal fat or tallow. The basic process, which has been the same for centuries, involves saponification of a triglyceride to fatty acids salts and glycerin; the most common fatty acid salts are made with either sodium or potassium. These fatty acid sodium-salts can be isolated as solids and used directly as a soap.

Objective

In this event you are expected to prepare and isolate a sodium-based soap made from 10 grams of a vegetable oil or animal fat. 

Materials Provided by NJIT on the Day of the Event

• Unknown vegetable oil or animal fat
• Standard soap solution for comparison

Materials & Methods Brought by Team to the Competition

• All additional chemicals, materials & equipment deemed necessary by the team must be brought to the competition by the team.
• Prior to starting, each team must provide the judges with two copies of a typed step-by-step procedure for performing the reaction and isolating the product and any other the methods they intend to use to address the objective of this experiment.  Once reviewed for safety, the judges will return one copy to the students for their use.  No additional written material -- in any form -- will be permitted in this event.
• Equipment may not be shared by teams whatsoever during the competition.  

What to Do?

1. Submit the Step-by step Description of the Methods to the judges

2. Prepare your reaction set-up

3. Perform the reaction and isolate the product

4. Obtain the mass of the dried product

5. Quantify its ability to form lather or suds by comparing it to the standard

6. Calculate the percent yield for your product

7. Clean up and then,  

8. Submit your report, along with the structure of the product and calculation of the yield. Show all calculations.

Notes:

• Bring adequate distilled/deionized water for conducting your experiments

• All solid samples provided must be disposed of in the trash.  Liquids may be poured down the sink. 

• Consult biochemistry laboratory manuals, microchemistry laboratory manuals, and journals including the Journal of Chemical Education for ideas regarding possible methodologies.

• Blotting with paper towels can help to dry the isolated soap.

• Example of a lather test http://www.thescalenews.com/Spring%202007/Spring07F.pdf 

Time Limit:

• 75 minutes

Judging

• Isolation of dried product 30%

• Efficacy Test: Suds forming ability as compared to the standard 15%

• Description of methods, 10%

• Yield in grams of the dried product 10%

• Flow chart showing the chemical reaction and the separation of the product from any by-products, 15%

• Calculations, 10%

• Time, 10%

Notes:

• In the event of a tie, the team that completes this session in the shortest period of time will win the tie.
• Teams must clean up and remove all materials that they bring to this event and return them to their own schools.  

NJIT Efficacy Test

The soap's ability to form lather will be tested by shaking a solution made from 0.1 g of the prepared soap and 5 mL of distilled water in a 20 x 150 mm rimless test-tube for 15 seconds then allowing it to rest for an additional 15 seconds before comparing the height of the suds (in mm measured from the bottom of the test-tube to the top of the lather at the center of the test-tube and not clinging to the walls of the tube) to a standard formed from 0.1 g of finely divided Ivory Soap under identical test conditions.

Team Identification

Each submission (research reports, web CDs, lab reports, etc) must include the following 4 items:

• name of school

• team A or B, designation, if applicable

• names of students (clearly printed legibly)

• name of coach

ALL PARTICIPANTS MUST BRING GOGGLES (APPROVED) AND APRON OR LAB COAT, AND GLOVES USE THEM AT ALL TIMES DURING THE COMPETITION.

Event designed by Marco Pagoda, Dwight Englewood HS

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Last Updated January 04, 2009