Soap

is a combination of animal fat or plant oil and caustic soda.

When dissolved in water, it breaks dirt away from surfaces.
Through the ages soap has been used to cleanse, to cure skin
sores, to dye hair, and as a salve or skin ointment.
But today we generally use soap as a cleanser or perfume.
Types of Soap
Normal Skin Soap
Baby Soap
Oily Skin Soap
Dry Skin Soap
Sensitive Skin Soap
Antibacterial Soap
Whitening Soap
Herbal Soap
Sizes
Toilet soaps come in several sizes for different purposes and
requirements, such as -

Small soaps - Small toilet soaps generally come in weight of 10 gm to

30 gm and are specially designed for hotel industries and travel
requirements.
bath bar soap - The normal toilet bath bar soap come in weight of 75
gm to 100 gm that are usually developed for mass consumption
Raw Materials
Soap requires two major raw materials:
Fat
ALKALI
ADDITIVES
Fat
It has been found that almost any fat can be used in soapmaking.
Fats for soap making may include animal fats, like tallow (fat from beef), lard
(fat from pork), and many plants derived hydrogenated fats and oils.
Traditionally, animal fats have been used, with beef tallow considered to
make the hardest soap, pork lards - medium hardness soap and chicken fat
as the softest.
Now days, it is generally accepted that the harder fats produce better soap.
Fat
According to experts, lard beats tallow and vegetable oils have found to be
highly gentle and great for skin.
However, soaps made with 100% lard do not lather very well but they are
known to have effective in cleaning.
There is a predominant perception today that you should get bubbles for the
soap for its proper functioning.
Alkali
are soluble salts that are effective in cleaning fabrics and removing dirt without excessive
rubbing.
A soluble salt of an alkali metal like potassium or sodium, alkalis are good grease removers, as
they form emulsion, a mixture where oily or solid particles are held in suspension.
The particles do not separate from the remaining liquid and hence they do not re-deposited on
the surface being cleaned.
Alkali
Earlier, the alkalis used in soap manufacturing process, were obtained from the ashes of plants,
but now days, they are produced commercially.
Today, the term alkali describes a substance, which is a base (chemically) and which reacts with
an acid to neutralize it.
The most common alkalis used now days in soapmaking is sodium hydroxide (NaOH), which is
also known as caustic soda; and potassium hydroxide (KOH), also known as caustic potash.
Alkali
Potassium based soaps form a more water-soluble product
than a sodium-based soap, and hence they are known as
"soft soaps."
Soft soaps, alone or in combination with sodium-based
soaps, is generally used to make shaving creams and other
water-soluble products.
Alkali
•When oil is mixed with an alkali, it forms glycerin and a sodium salt of fatty acid.
•The fatty acids that are required to manufacture soaps are supplied by tallow, grease, fish oils,
and vegetable oils.
•The characteristics of soap, such as hardness, lathering qualities and transparency may vary
depending on the combinations of alkalis and fats used as ingredients.
• Alkaline cleaners can also be used to remove oil from an oil-based paint, by drying it and
causing it to peel or crack.
• Alkali products also have a property to darken aluminum surfaces
Alkali
Acidic oils and alkaline solutions are prime ingredients in soapmaking.
To produce a perfect bar of soap, oil and alkalis should be in perfect balance.
The unsaponified oils are known as "Free fatty acids", which add to the
moisturizing characteristics of high quality soaps.
However if these oils are used in excess, the soap will not lather and will have a
shortened shelf life.
The use of excess alkali in a soap make it harsh and drying to the skin.
Additives
Pearlizing agents are added to opacify the formula and give it a more pleasing
appearance
Fragrances are added to mask the odor of the base and increase consumer
appeal
Thickeners are added to increase the viscosity of product
Colorants may also be included to improve the appearance of product
Primary surfactants are added foam and cleansing, while secondary surfactants
are added to give the foam more creaminess and improve the skin feel.
Manufacturing Processes
KETTLE METHOD
CONTINUOUS METHOD
Kettle Method
is still used today by small soap manufacturing
companies.
This process takes from four to eleven days to
complete, and the quality of each batch is
inconsistent due to the variety of oils used.
STEPS IN KETTLE METHOD
Boiling
Salting
Strong change
Pitching
Boiling
Fats and alkali are melted in a kettle, which is a steel tank that can
stand three stories high and hold several thousand pounds of
material.
Steam coils within the kettle heat the batch and bring it to a boil.
After boiling, the mass thickens as the fat reacts with the alkali,
producing soap and glycerine.
Salting
The soap and glycerine must now be separated.
The mixture is treated with salt, causing the soap to rise to
the top and the glycerine to settle to the bottom.
The glycerine is extracted from the bottom of the kettle.
Strong change
To remove the small amounts of fat that have not
saponified, a strong caustic solution is added to the kettle.
The mass is brought to a boil again, and the last of the fat
turns to soap.
The batch may be given another salt treatment at this time,
or the manufacturer may proceed to the next step.
Pitching
The soap in the kettle is boiled again with added water.
The mass eventually separates into two layers.
The top layer is called "neat soap," which is about 70% soap and 30%
water.
The lower layer, called "nigre," contains most of the impurities in the
soap such as dirt and salt, as well as most of the water.
The neat soap is taken off the top.
CONTINUOUS METHOD
Around 1940, engineers and scientists developed a more efficient
manufacturing process, called the continuous process.
This procedure is employed by large soap manufacturing companies all around
the world today.
Exactly as the name states, in the continuous process soap is produced
continuously, rather than one batch at a time.
Technicians have more control of the production in the continuous process, and
the steps are much quicker than in the kettle method—it takes only about six
hours to complete a batch of soap.
STEPS IN CONTINUOUS METHOD
Splitting
Mixing
Cooling and finishing
Milling
Splitting
The first step of the continuous process splits natural fat into fatty acids and glycerine.
The equipment used is a vertical stainless steel column with the diameter of a barrel called a
hydrolizer. It may be as tall as 80 feet (24 m).
Pumps and meters attached to the column allow precise measurements and control of the
process.
Molten fat is pumped into one end of the column, while at the other end water at high
temperature (266°F [130°C]) and pressure is introduced.
This splits the fat into its two components.
The fatty acid and glycerine are pumped out continuously as more fat and water enter.
The fatty acids are then distilled for purification.
Mixing
The purified fatty acids are next mixed with a precise
amount of alkali to form soap.
Other ingredients such as abrasives and fragrance are also
mixed in.
The hot liquid soap may be then whipped to incorporate air.
Cooling and finishing
The soap may be poured into moulds and allowed to harden into a large slab.
It may also be cooled in a special freezer.
The slab is cut into smaller pieces of bar size, which are then stamped and wrapped.
The entire continuous process, from splitting to finishing, can be accomplished in several hours.
Milling
The milled bar lathers up better and has a finer consistency than non-
milled soap.
The cooled soap is fed through several sets of heavy rollers (mills),
which crush and knead it.
Perfumes can best be incorporated at this time because their volatile
oils do not evaporate in the cold mixture.
After the soap emerges from the mills, it is pressed into a smooth
cylinder and extruded.
The extruded soap is cut into bar size, stamped and wrapped.
MACHINE USED IN SOAP MAKING
Mixer Machine
Soap Cutting Machine
Duplex Vacuum Plodder
Soap Saponification Section
MIXER MACHINE
Soap mixer machines are important soap manufacturing equipment that are used to mix the
different raw materials used in soapmaking.
The machine can be used to mix a variety of additives with raw soap and produce hard paste
form.
Available in a variety of sizes, dimensions, weights and mixing capacities, the latest technology
mixing machines are easy to use and operate and require minimum maintenance.

The modern day soap mixer machines are carefully designed to develop soap chips in a uniform
texture with color and perfume.
MIXER MACHINE
The mixing action is attained by using the specially shaped "Z" blades that are fitted on parallel
shafts mounted with close clearance in a double 'U' shaped trough.
With the help of blades, the mass is rolled; folded back and pushed down to join the separate
layers.
This action is repeated till the time the desired uniformity is obtained.
The tilting arrangement in small unit is achieve through manual procedure and in larger units it
is further incorporated with a gearbox and motor that are operated by electric control.
SOAP CUTTING MACHINE
Soap cutting machine is the equipment used in soap manufacturing
process to cut soap bars into desired lengths, sizes and forms.
In these machines, soap cutters are usually placed downstream from a
plodding machine and the soap bars that come from the plodder enter the
cutter and come into contact with an incremental encoder, which sends a
signal to the cutting system.
The cutting system provides a horizontal and vertical blade shift, to cut
bars into the specified lengths and sizes.
The soap cutting machines are designed and manufactured with two
conveyors for separate cutting unit, which are used to feed the soap bars
into the cutter and then carry them out of the cutter.
Types of Soap Cutting Machines
Soap cutting machines are only one category of soap manufacturing machines.
However, they too are available in many varieties nowadays. The available soap cutting
machines can be categorized as:
Air powered soap cutter
Manual soap cutter
Loaf soap cutter
Double cutting machine
Bar size-cutting machines
Rotary soap cutting machine
Air Powered Soap Cutter
These soap making machines are ideal for cold processed soap cutting, the Air Powered Soap
Cutters can be used to produce thousands of perfect bars a day by a single person.

Salient Features of Air Powered Soap Cutter

High production
Can be custom designed to meet user specifications, bar and batch size
Cuts both loaves and bars with a single piece of equipment
Can be used to cut hundreds of perfect bars in just minutes
Designed with 2 cutting grids and 2 cutting tables (Loaf and Bar)
Manual Soap Cutter
Manual soap cutters are designed to cut large blocks of soap within minutes manually.
The manual soap cutters come with the option of Extra cutting frame and tables for different full size
bars or hotel size bars, extra wire ( include both sizes, for bar and loaf frames) and manual cutter easy
hoist system.
These cutters can be custom designed to meet the unique specifications, bar and mold size.
Salient Features of Manual Soap Cutter
Cuts both loafs and bars with one piece of equipment
Compact in size, durable and easy to clean
Easy to operate
Cutting frames and tables are easily and quickly interchanged
Manual Cutter Easy Hoist System
Loaf Soap Cutter
A loaf soap cutter is used to cut the soap loaves into bars quickly
and easily with its in built cutter.
Based on latest technology, the loaf soap cutters come with a heavy
duty base and cutting table, wood and HDPE plastic and are
provided with a extra replacement wire.
Salient Features Loaf Soap Cutter
Metal parts coated with hard, baked on powder-coat enamel
Easy to use, operate and maintain
Come with a variety of specifications and can be custom designed
to meet user specific specifications
Double Cutting Machine
Double cutting machine is a hand operated equipment that can be
used to cut slabs into bars and bars into detergent cakes.
When the slabs are cut into bars, there is no need to handle or touch
the bars for cutting the cakes but only to move the handle and the
cakes will cut according to the specific size or as per the adjustment
made in the frame size.
These are fitted with cutting frames that are detachable and the
frame is with steel spring wires.
Bar Size Cutting Machine
Bar size-cutting machines are used to cut
soap slabs into bars and bars into cakes.
The machine can be used easily prepare
soap bars into desired shapes and
dimensions.
The machine is fitted with cutting frames
that can be easily detached and have steel
spring wires.
Rotary Soap Cutting Machine
Rotary soap cutting machines are used to cut the bar soaps at fixed lengths.
These machines are mounted at the mouth of plodder and operate without power.
A rotary soap cutting machine is driven by the forced travel of the extruded bar from the
plodder.
The machine has two stainless steel guide rings that are mounted with suitable cutting knives to
cut the soap bar into specified lengths and the speed and output can be synchronized with the
plodder discharge capacity.
The gap between the two cutting wheels can be adjusted according to the need or thickness of
the soap.
DUPLEX VACUUM PLODDER
A duplex vacuum plodder is a soap-making machine that is used to extrude the
final soap.
Suitable for stamping, the machine comprises of two separate stages in which
the first stage is a refiner and the second stage is an extruder.
The second stage, i.e. extruder is used to produce the final bar shape in a long
continuous billet. A vacuum chamber that functions to de-erate the soap
connects these two stages.
An extruder is commonly called a plodder in the soap manufacturing industry.
DUPLEX VACUUM PLODDER
The Vacuum Duplex Plodder is used to extrude the final product, which is a long continuous
soap bar and at this point it is completely finished.
At this stage, the soap bar is actually finished and the only thing left is to change the form of bar
by cutting the billets into smaller pieces and stamping a shape if needed.
The extruder screw of top noodle plodder carries the milled soap ribbons of soap from hopper
and compresses the soap as it tries to pass through the noodle plate.
There is a rotating knife that is used to cut the noodles as they come out of the noodle plate and
finally fall in to the vacuum chamber.
The bottom screw binds the soap noodles under vacuum as the soap mass from the mouth of
the cone through the die under pressure.
DUPLEX VACUUM PLODDER
Extruder has a seamless stainless steel pipe and there is an aluminum alloy screw that rotates
inside the pipe.
The pressing action binds the soap under vacuum and as the soap mass comes out of the conical
mouth of the plodder it is cut into equal size bars.
The pipe is jacketed to distribute water in it and the mouth of cone has the facility to hold
heater and temperature sensor.
After a specific temperature is achieved it can be maintained through a thermostat mechanism,
which ensures that the soap bar has a shiny appearance and emerges freely.
Maintaining the temperature is important as if the temperature is too high the soap surface will
be blistered and in case the temperature is low, the surface will be dull.
DUPLEX VACUUM PLODDER
Uses
An important equipment in the entire soap unit, plodder machines play a crucial role in giving
final shape to a soap bar.
The ribbon like mass, which passes through the load thrust carrier plodded the mass compactly
thereby giving it high quality finesses.
The thrust load carrier extrudes the mass in the form of a bar.
Distinctive design of die is furnished with the mouth piece of extrusion barrel to attain a specific
size of bar and then it can cuts into convenient size of cakes.
The extrusion machine comes with adequate arrangements for heating and cooling and the bars
for toilet soaps and detergent cakes can be taken as per the requirements.
SOAP SAPONIFICATION SECTION
Soap saponification section is a set of equipment that are
used in the saponification process (the first stage in the
soap making process). Saponification can be of two types -
Batch type
Continuous process type
Batch Method
Semi boiled saponification for obtaining medium quality soap is attained by simple mixing and
heating in a crutcher (soap mixer) and is used for producing small (1 to 5 tonnes) batches
household or laundry soap.
Any impurities in the raw materials will be present in the final obtained soap and there is no
wasted discharge to the drain.

Completely boiled saponification for producing high quality soap is done in kettles.
This is the most common method of soap making and can be used to make laundry or toilet
soap.
Batch Method
The completely boiled soap is washed during the process to remove any glycerin or impurities.
Batch size is usually 25 to 50 tonnes and 3 to 5 kettles are used in this process.
The plant outputs are generally 1 to 5 tonnes per hour.
The technique can be used to produce soap of international quality standards.
Some wastes may require to be discharged to the drain if glycerin is not recovered from these
wastes (called lye).
Continuous Process
Continuous saponification process is suitable for producing different grades of soap of different
quality standards.
This system is not suitable to manufacture soaps at the production rate of less than 50 tonnes of
soap per day.
The system can be designed to achieve soap production rates in excess of 200 tonnes per day.

In the continuous process technique, raw materials are accurately metered using a special pump
to the saponification reactor.
Continuous Process
Following the reaction, the clean soap is separated from the by-product of the reaction (rich in
glycerin).
The separation occurs in two main stages, at first in the rotating disk column, and secondly
through centrifuge separation.
The clean soap can be pumped to the storage, or directly to the vacuum spray drying section.

Because of the high value of glycerin, the plants generally come with a glycerin recovery section
to purify and retain the glycerin