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Lab 6: Soap and Biodiesel


Abstract
This lab is designed to enhance students understanding of organic reactions. This
lab explores the role of IMFs in relationship to the substances characteristics. Through
this lab, students are able to comprehend the chemistry of fats and the impacts of
structures on properties. This lab consists of three overarching steps and they include:
soapmaking, testing the soap, and working with the biodiesel. The results in this
experiment were that two layers were formed and the result was biodiesel. (RESULTS
and WHY DID YOU TEST THEM). We compared the soaps made in class to the
commercial bar soaps. We found that (INSERT)
Discussion/Questions
Emulsion is a combination of two or more liquids that are immiscible. In order to
form an emulsion, one wants the substances to mix. When looking at oil and water, the
substances do not mix because of opposite polarities. Soap enables water and oil to mix
because it has a polar and nonpolar end. The nonpolar end attracts oil because oil is
nonpolar and when water is washed over soapy clothes, the water molecules are attracted
to the polar end of the soap molecule. This attraction pulls the dirt molecule along with
the water. The oil wants to stick with soap but water pulls it along. The role of the ethyl
alcohol was to dissolve the triglycerides so that they can react with sodium hydroxide.
The triglycerides and sodium hydroxide are both immiscible but this alcoholic solvent
facilitates the reaction.
Soaps and hard water make precipitates with calcium ions. Precipitates often bond
to clothes and are extremely hard to remove. They are made because soaps cannot
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enclose the calcium or magnesium ions in water. Cations then attach to whatever is being
washed. Some soaps cant solvate the cations. This is weird because soaps have
negatively charged groups at the end. Whether or not a micelle is formed depends on a
carbon chains saturation.
Soap and biodiesel have similar formations: a triglyceride is combined with a base
and an alcohol breaks away from the glycerol to make the three fatty acid chains. They
synthesize differently because they have varying amounts of base to react with
triglyceride. Saponification makes soap by combining a concentrated base and
triglyceride in an alcoholic solvent. This results in three fatty acid salts and glycerol.
Fatty acid chains neutralize and make fatty acid salt, which is the same as soap.
Transesterifccation is a known as the synthesis of biodiesel, utilizes the base and alcohols
in different ways. The alcohol is the reactant and a small amount of the base serves as a
catalyst. The base reacts with the alcohol to make a radical. The radical engages the
triglyceride. This results in the formation of biodiesel and glycerol. Three methyl esters
are formed for every triglyceride. These methyl esters are biodiesel.
(INSERT ERROR, RESULTS AND EXPLANATION OF MEANING, AND
WHAT WAS THE GOAL OF RESULTS AND WHAT DO YOUR RESULTS POINT
TO)
The class will test biodiesel at another time. The tests will be on biodiesels
chemical and physical properties. The goal of the test is to determine if we actually
formed biodiesel.
Conclusion
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Saponification consists of the addition of a base and triglyceride as they are
heated. The soaps were tested five was. (WHICH OILS WERE BEST? THE
CALCULATIONS AND RESULT ERROR)
Biodiesel formed with soybean, canola, and commercial bar soap. During
transesterfication, a triglyceride was combined with alcohol as the base served as a
catalyst. Biodiesel testing will be done next year. In forming the biodiesel, there were
minor errors like the use of dirty glassware.

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