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Sand Soap Balls

These are pre- 580. Whale-oil Soap to Destroy Inpared by adding to the melted soap about half sects. Render common Iye caustic, by boilits weight of fine siliceous sand. Sifted sand ing it at full strength on quicklime; then is usually employed. Some persons prefer take the lye and boil it with as much whalethe shelly sea-sand (sifted from the shells and oil foot as it will saponify (change to soap), well washed) for the purpose. For the finer pour off into moulds, and, when cold, it is qualities, finely-powdered pumice-stone is now tolerably hard. Whale-oil foot is the sediusually employed. Used to prevent rough- ment produced in refining whale oil. ness and thickening of the skin in cold weath-581. Carbolic Acid Soap. Take freshly er; also to clean the hands when dirty. The prepared cocoanut-oil soap, 1.0 parts, and fuse; SOAP BY THE COLD PROCESS. then add a solution of alcohol, 10 parts; car- be tested; put it into a flask containing an bolic acid, 6 parts; caustic potassa, 2 parts; ounce of 95 alcohol, and shake thoroughly ; oil of lemon, 1 part; and mix with stirring. the alcohol dissolves the caustic alkali per- To be poured into moulds. fectly, but will not take up any other ingredients. After standing for a few hours to settle, decant the clear liquid, and evaporate on a porcelain capsule until thoroughly dry; Soap by the Cold Process. the weight of the dry residue will be the num

Although the commoner kinds of soap ber of grains, i. c., the percentage, of caustic are usually made by boiling, they can be alkali in 100 grains of the soda or potash . made by the cold process if desired; and the 587. To Find the Percentage of Car fatty substances employed are substantially bonated Alkali in a Caustic Soda or Potthe same in both methods. The cold or little- ash. Dissolve 100 grains of the sample in 4 pan process is, however, almost exclusively ounces water in a flask; next weigh out 106 adopted in the manufacture of fancy or toilet grains finely powdered crystals of oxalic acid, soaps, and for these purposes the fat requires add small portions of this acid at a time t; time t to be purified and deodorized, especially where the alkali in the flask, stirring thoroughly any delicate scent is to be used in perfuming it. (See Nos. 533 and 530.) The lye employed for saponification without boiling must be much stronger than that used in the boiling process, and should be entirely clear and colorless; a strength of about 36° Baumé is usually necessary. with a glass rod, and apply heat; continue to add the acid until the hot mixture tinges litmus paper slightly red; the saturation is then complete, and the acid has neutralized or combined with all the alkali, both carbonate and caustic. Weigh the oxalic acid which remains; and, by deducting from 100, we know how much we have used. Now every 7.87 583. To Make Soap by the Cold Process. Incorporate by degrees 50 pounds grains oxalic acid that have been used, have concentrated caustic lye of 36° Baumé, into neutralized 5 grains soda or 7 grains potash, 100 pounds fat at a temperature not higher according as the sample consists of caustic than 104° Fahr. (see No. 523); continue to stir soda or caustic potash; hence we find the thoroughly with a broad wooden paddle, until total number of grains of alkali in the 100 a complete ring can be drawn on its surface grains under test. By the previous method with the paddle. In making scented soap, we can find the percentage of caustic alkali in the perfuming ingredients must now be stirred 100 grains of the sample; deducting the grains of this latter from the weight of the whole alkali eliminated by the oxalic acid, the balance or remainder will be the percentage of carbonated alkali. in. The paste is then run into frames lined with linen, flaps of which should be left above the edges of each frame, wide enough to admit of their being laid over the surface of the paste, with which the frame must be entirely By these three steps we get the percentage filled. The paste being thus completely con- of water, the percentage of caustic alkali, and fined by the linen, the frames are closed with the percentage of carbonated alkali; these a wooden cover and left for 12 hours. Dur- added together and deducted from 100 give ing this interval the temperature of the paste the percentage of foreign matter or impurity in the frames rises spontaneously to a much in the matter tested. (See Alkalimetry.) higher degree, producing complete saponifica- 588. To Make Soap-makers' Concention. The soap is afterwards taken out of the frames, cut, and dried. The hardness of the soap will depend on the description of fats and lyes used. (Sec No. 521.) trated Caustic Lye. Boil 85 gallons water in a kettle capable of holding 150 gallons; stir in, a little at a time, 100 pounds powdered soda (or potash, if for potash lye), until it

584. Method of Testing Caustic is all dissolved; then mix in gradually, by Alkali. The strength and practical value of stirring, 48 pounds freshly slacked lime of a commercial caustic soda or potash can only creamy consistency; the boiling must not be be ascertained by analysis. The methods allowed to slacken during the whole process, given below are simple, and will determine, until complete causticity is obtained, which with sufficient accuracy, the percentage of may be ascertained by taking a little in a test water, caustic alkali, and carbonated alkali glass, and, when cool, adding to it a few due ps few drops contained in a given sample; and hence the quantity of impurity, if any. of nitric acid; if this causes effervescence, the causticity is imperfect and the boiling must be continued until a test with nitric acid causes no effervescence. When this is the case, the contents of the kettle should be allowed to 585. To Find the Percentage of Water in a Caustic Soda or Potash. Weigh carefully 100 grains of the alkali into a capsule (a flat evaporating dish of suitable size, cool and settle for about 12 hours. The clear a watch glass is a small capsule), and dry them by heating over a flame; a cold glass held over the contents of the capsule will show the slightest evaporation of water.

When no more moisture can be detected, allow them to cool; then weigh the residue in the capsule, and the difference of the weights before and after drying will be the number of liquor can then be drawn off into a vat lined with lead-a syphon may be used for this purpose with advantage. The lye can be made to any desired strength by evaporation. 589. To Make Concentrated Caustic Soda Lye-Kurten's Method. The left for toilet soap must be either made from the purest German soda at 95 degrees of strength, grains of water contained in 100 grains of the or (which is better for the purpose) from alkali; that is, the percentage of water. crystallized soda. English soda of 80 to 83 586. To Estimate the Percentage of degrees, such as is generally found in comfound in com- Caustic Alkali in a Caustic Soda or merce, is not to be used, as it produces a bad Potash. Powder 100 grains of the alkali to article.

When the lye for finer soap is to be made, 100 pounds lime are added to 100 pounds German soda at 95 per cent., whereas 45 pounds lime to 100 pounds crystallized soda is the general proportion.

The soda is dissolved in the boiler with water, or with a weak lye remaining from a former operation at 20 degrees of strength, and afterwards added to the lime slacked to a state like broth. This mixture must boil 2 hours and be left to deposit. lye are to be added. When the paste has become smooth and uniform throughout, it is transferred to a cooling frame, perfumed, and left in a room of moderate temperature for a few days to set and ripen. It is then ready to be cut into tablets and pressed.