-----------.
SOAP PRODUCTION FROM WOOD ASH
BY
AL£6.£ MA1fOMI OLAITAN
-<)
92/2445
DEPARTMENT OF CHEMICAL ENGINEERING, SCHOOL OF ENGINEERING
.AND ENGINEERING TECHNOlOGV, fEDERAL UNIVERSIIl' Of
TECHNOLOGY, MINNA
A PROJECT SUBMITIED TO THE DEPARTMENT OF CHEMICAL
ENGINEERING, SCHOOL OF ENGINEERING AND ENGINEERING
TECHNOLOGY, FEDERAL UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY
MINNA, NIGERIA.
IN PARTIAL FULFILMENTQF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE
AWARD OF A DEGREE IN ENGINEERING (B. ENG)
DECEMBER, 1998
I,iJ
ii
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
My sinCere gratitude goes to Almighty God for his enablement, grace mercy
and favour granted me throughout my degree programme .Q{ Federal University of
Technology, Minna.
My sincere appreciation also goes to my parents Mr. and Mrs J. O. Alege,
my mentors; Mr. & Mrs S. Mayekogbon, Mr S. kehinde, Mr & Mrs Ash, Mr & Mrs
Akande, Mr & Mrs Komolafe, Mr & Mrs M. O. Onidare, Mr & Mrs Ade-Daniel, Mr &
Mrs Jaiye Alege, Mr & Mrs Ayodele, Mrs Adebayo, Mr. Kolawole Alege, My brothers
Eniola, Biodun, olu Olaiya, Mandela, Yetunde, Mr Bankole and all laboratory staffs
of Global Soap and detergent for the support and love.
I am seizing this oppotunity to thank my friends; Rasaq LawaI, Muyiwa
Ibitanmi, Bunmi Adeegbe, Victor ogbonna, Taiye and Kehinde Ayeni, Dewunmi
Agboola, Taiwo Ogunjobi, Abdul Olaniyan, Biodun Yusuf, Osunji Tunji, Tope
Owolabi, Muyiwa Oyinbo, Funmi Jemisania, Funmi Babalola, Lydia Lawai,
Chinegbo, Christy Anthony, Bola Akanbi [Eyabema] and Demola Otitolaye,
Abdulahi Lawai and others.
My acknowledgement will not be completed if I fait to thank my following
I~urers.
Mr. Odigure (H.O.D), Dr. Aberuagba [Supervisor1, Mr. Akinbode, the chief
technologist and Mrs Lizzy Eterigho and Mra Olutoye.
I am very grateful for their support, may Almithgy God bless them all in their
endeavours.
DEDICATION
This project is dedicated to my family and my friends for their love and
concern.
May God bless them, Amen.
CERTIFICAnON
tv
This report has been read and approved as meeting the requirements of the
Department of Chemical Engineering in the school of Engineering and Engineering
Technology, Federal University of Technology, Minna, for the award of Bachelor of
Engineering B Eng (HONS) Degree in Chemical Engineering .
.........................................
DR ABERUAGBA
PROJECT SUPERVISOR
..........................................
EXTERNAL EXAMINER
..............................
DATE
. ....................................... .
DATE
.........................................
DATE
yf
PROJECT TOPIC: SOAP PRODUCTION FROM WOOD ASH
i.
Title page
ii.
Acknowledgement ..................................... ii
iii.
Dedication ........................................... iii
iv.
Certification. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. iv
v.
Abstract . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . v
vi.
Table of contents .................................... vi
......................................................................................
CHAPTER ONE
1.0
INTRODUCTION
1.1
History of soap making ................................. 1
1.2
Methods of soap production ............................. 1
1.3
Modem soap making .................................. 2
1A
Economic importance of soap ........................... 3
1.5
Aims/Objectives. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
CHAPTER TWO
2.0
LITERATURE REVIEW
2.1
Wood .............................................. 5
2.1.1 Wood Ash
.......................................... 6
2.2
Raw materials for soap production ........................ 7
2.3
Types of soap ........................................ 8
2.4
Chemistry of saponification ............................. 9
2.5
Soap actions
2.6
Extraction of KOH from wood ash
....................................... 10
....................... 11
2.6.1 Batch method ....................................... 11
2.6.2 Semi-batch method
.................................. 11
2.6.3 Continous method ................................... 12
CHAPTER THREE
3.0
EXPERIMENTAL WORK
3.1
Equipment/Materials. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
3.2
Ashing of wood samples
3.3
Semi-batch method of KOH extraction
3.4
Filteration .......................................... 15
3.5
Saponification procedure .............................. 15
3.6
Addition of additives .................................. 16
3.7
Foamability Test ..................................... 16
.............................. 13
................... 14
CHAPTER FOUR
4.0
EXPERIMENTAL RESULTS
4.1
Weighing of wood samples ............................ 17
4.2
Ashing results
4.3
KOH extraction and quantification ....................... 19
...................................... 18
4.3.1 KOH extraction from Shea butter Tree .................... 19
4.4
Palm kernel oil analysis .... "........................... 19
4.4.1 Percentage free fatty acid determination .................. 19
4.5
Saponification results ................................. 20
4.6
Soap analyses ...................................... 20
4.6.1 Percentage soap moisture content
...................... 21
4.6.2 Percentage free potash value determination ............... 21
4.7
Effect of additives .................................... 21
4.8
Foamability results ................................... 21
4.9
Texture results ...................................... 22
CHAPTER FIVE
5.0
PLANT/PROJECT DESIGN
5.1
Introduction. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
5.2
Choice of design
5.3
Problem statement ................................... 24
5.4
Experimental results used for design ..................... 24
5.5
Material balance calculations ...... ~ .................... 25
5.6
Energy balance calculations
.................................... 23
........................... 28
5.6.1 Steam requirement ................................... 30
5.7
Equipment Sizing .................................... 30
5.7.1 Agitator/reactor Dimensions ............................ 31
5.7.2 Heating coil Dimensions
.............................. 31
5.7.3 Power requirement ................................... 31
5.8
Materials of construction .............................. 32
5.8.1 Reactor design specification ........................... 32
5.9
Equipment Costing ................................... 33
5.9.1 Profitability of design ................................. 34
5.9.2 Safety consideration
o·
................................. 34
CHAPTER SIX
6.0
DISCUSSION OF RESULTS
................................ 35
CHAPTER SEVEN
7.0
CONCLUSION
7.1
RECOMMENDATION ...................................... 37
REFERENCES
APPENDIX
........................................... 36
~IST OF TABLE/DIAGRAM
,
Table
Analysis table for dry wood
Table 2
Mass of wood samples
Tabl~
Ashing results
",3
Table
~OH
quantification table
Table 5
Table of additives
Table 6
Foamability Table
Diagram
Process flowsheet
Diagram 2
Equipment specification.
17
18
19
20
21
:zsq
3~
1
CHAPTER ONE
1.0
INTRODU~TION
1.1
HISTORY OF SOAP MAKINGs
The treatment of fat with alkali has been practised in the middle east
for at least 5000 years. The art was brought to Europe by the phoenicians about
600 BC. Its purpose, right through to the second century AD, and was solely
medicinal for example for the treatment of scrofulous sores.
Soap making dissapeared from Europe with the decline of the Roman
Empire, it reappeared in the eight century, but only reached Britain in the eleventh
century, probably as a result of invasion. It remained a relatively primitive art till the
16th century, when techniques that provided a purer soap. The conversion of
potash (literally made from wood ash) to caustic alkali by means of quicklime and
the salting out of soap were developed.
In the 17th century, the French Industrial Chemist Nicholas leblane
produced caustic alkali from common salt, and there by eliminated a major
stumbling block to expansion (Today it is made by an electrolytic process). In 19th
century, Chevreul described the constitution of fats and put soap making on a
sound basis. At the tum of the century, Sabatier and Normann applied their ideas
to the hardening of fats. In the first half of the 12th century, the crystalline states
of hydrated soap which effect product performance were elucidated, the bleaching
of fats perfected, and deodourization of fats was introduced for the highest class
products8 .
The present century, as a result of technological growth, has seen soap
developed from luxury into universal necessity. Its cleansing power, its durability
it water-softening quality, its consistency, it delicacy, its feel, its scent, all these are
now"delibrately introduced or taken into consideration in the production of soap
through the use of almost automatic control machines.
1.2
METHOD OF SOAP PRODUCTION
There are two basic methods of soap production, which are namely Cold and Hot