2007-01-20 06:43:35 · 3 answers · asked by linifer74 1 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Chemistry
Detergents are long-chain hydrocarbon sulfates and sulfonates. The hydrocarbon tails help solubilize greasy dirt in water to wash it away. The ionic polar -SO3-Na+ and -OSO2O-Na+ heads give affinity with water. The virtue of detergents is that they do not give insoluble scums with magnesium and calcium ions. One example is sodium lauryl sulfate, made by half-esterification of laury alcohol, CH3(CH2)10CH2-OH, with sulfuric acid, followed by neutralization of the unreacted H2SO4 -OH:
CH3(Ch2)11-OSO2O-Na+
Another is alkyl benzene sulfonate, made by tacking a hydrocarbon tail onto benzene, sulfonating the benzene with sulfuric acid, and neutralizing with NaOH:
CH3(CH2)7-C6H4-SO3-Na+
Nonionic detergents are made by reaction of alcohols like lauryl with ethylene oxide. This puts a "tip" of a few -O-CH2CH2-O- units onto the front of the 12-carbon chain. Products like this go into No More Tears shampoo.
2007-01-20 09:10:16 · answer #1 · answered by steve_geo1 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
soaps are sodium stearates not detergents . their structure are almost same but. both contain sodium ion and long hydrocarbon chains . but soap has carboxylic group attached with hydrocarbon chain and detegents have sulphate group with hydrocarbon chain like in sodium lauryl sulphate...... FOR ITS DETAILED STRUCTURE U CAN MAIL ME AT gaurav_genius88@yahoo.com
2007-01-20 08:15:42 · answer #2 · answered by 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Most are based on Sodium Sterate
2007-01-20 07:57:23 · answer #3 · answered by christopher N 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋