The Handbook of Soap Manufacture Part 14

(_a_) _Pin Moulds_ in which tablets of one size and shape only can be produced (Fig. 25). The edges of the mould meet very exactly, the upper part of the die carries two pins attached to the shoulder, and these are received into two holes in the shoulder of the bottom plate. The superfluous soap is forced out as the dies meet.

(_b_) _Band or Collar Moulds._--In this form (Fig, 27) the mould may be adjusted to stamp various sized tablets, say from 2 ozs. to 5-1/3 ozs.

and different impressions given by means of removable die plates. The band or collar prevents the soap squeezing out sideways. We are indebted to R. Forehaw & Son, Ltd., for the loan of this ill.u.s.tration.

It is usual to moisten the soap or mould with a dilute solution of glycerine if it should have a tendency to stick to the die plates.

The soap is then ready for final tr.i.m.m.i.n.g, wrapping, and boxing.

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 27--Band Mould.]

MEDICATED SOAPS.

The inherent cleansing power of soap renders it invaluable in combating disease, while it also has distinct germicidal properties, a 2 per cent.

solution proving fatal to B. coli communis in less than six hours, and even a 1 per cent. solution having a marked action on germs in fifteen minutes.

Many makers, however, seek more or less successfully to still further increase the value of soap in this direction by the incorporation of various drugs and chemicals; and the number of medicated soaps on the market is now very large. Such soaps may consist of either hard or soft soaps to which certain medicaments have been added, and can be roughly divided into two cla.s.ses, (_a_) those which contain a specific for various definite diseases, the intention being that the remedy should be absorbed by the pores of the skin and thus penetrate the system, and (_b_) those impregnated with chemicals intended to act as antiseptics or germicides, or, generally, as disinfectants.

The preparation of medicinal soaps appears to have been first taken up in a scientific manner by Unna of Hamburg in 1886, who advocated the use of soap in preference to plasters as a vehicle for the application of certain remedies.

Theoretically, he considered a soap-stock made entirely from beef tallow the most suitable for the purpose, but in practice found that the best results were obtained by using a superfatted soap made from a blend of one part of olive oil with eight parts of beef tallow, saponified with a mixture of two parts of soda to one part of potash, sufficient fat being employed to leave an excess of 3 or 4 per cent. unsaponified. Recent researches have shown, however, that even if a superfatted soap-base is beneficial for the preparation of toilet soaps (a point which is open to doubt), it is quite inadmissible for the manufacture of germicidal and disinfectant soaps, the bactericidal efficiency of which is much restricted by the presence of free fat.

Many of the medicaments added to soaps require special methods of incorporation therein, as they otherwise react with the soap and decompose it, forming comparatively inert compounds. This applies particularly to salts of mercury, such as _corrosive sublimate_ or mercuric chloride, and _biniodide of mercury_, both of which have very considerable germicidal power, and are consequently frequently added to soaps. If simply mixed with the soap in the mill, reaction very quickly takes place between the mercury salt and the soap, with formation of the insoluble mercury compounds of the fatty acids, a change which can be readily seen to occur in such a soap by the rapid development on keeping, of a dull slaty-green appearance. Numerous processes have been suggested, and in some cases patented, to overcome this difficulty. In the case of corrosive sublimate, Geissler suggested that the soap to which this reagent is to be added should contain an excess of fatty acids, and would thereby be rendered stable. This salt has also been incorporated with milled soap in a dry state in conjunction with ammonio-mercuric chloride, [beta]-naphthol, methyl salicylate, and eucalyptol. It is claimed that these bodies are present in an unchanged condition, and become active when the soap is added to water as in was.h.i.+ng. Ehrhardt (Eng. Pat. 2,407, 1898) patented a method of making antiseptic mercury soap by using mercury alb.u.minate--a combination of mercuric chloride and casein, which is soluble in alkali, and added to the soap in an alkaline solution.

With biniodide of mercury the interaction can be readily obviated by adding to the biniodide of mercury an equal weight of pota.s.sium iodide.

This process, devised and patented by J. Thomson in 1886, has been worked since that time with extremely satisfactory results. Strengths of 1/2, 1, and 3 per cent. biniodide are sold, but owing to the readiness with which it is absorbed by the skin a soap containing more than 1/2 per cent. should only be used under medical advice.

A similar combination of _bromide of mercury_ with pota.s.sium, sodium, or ammonium bromide has recently been patented by Cooke for admixture with liquid, hard, or soft soaps.

_Zinc and other Metallic Salts._--At various times salts of metals other than mercury have been added to soap, but, owing to their insolubility in water, their efficiency as medicaments is very trifling or nil.

Compounds have been formed of metallic oxides and other salts with oleic said, and mixtures made with vaseline and lanoline, and incorporated with soap, but they have not met with much success.

Another chemical commonly added to soap is _Borax_. In view of its alkaline reaction to litmus, turning red litmus blue, this salt is no doubt generally regarded as alkaline, and, as such, without action on soap. On the contrary, however, it is an acid salt containing an excess of boric acid over the soda present, hence when it is added to soap, fatty acids are necessarily liberated, causing the soap to quickly become rancid. As a remedy for this it has been proposed to add sufficient alkali to convert the borax into neutral mono-borate of soda which is then added to the soap. This process is patented and the name "Kastilis" has been given to the neutral salt. The incorporation of borax with the addition of gum tragasol forms the subject of two patents (Eng. Pats. 4,415, 1904; and 25,425, 1905); increased detergent and lasting properties are claimed for the soap. Another patented process (Eng. Pat. 17,218, 1904) consists of coating the borax with a protective layer of fat or wax before adding to the soap with the idea that reaction will not take place until required. _Boric acid_ possesses the defects of borax in a greater degree, and would, of course, simply form sodium borate with liberation of fatty acids, so should never be added to a neutral soap.

_Salicylic Acid_ is often recommended for certain skin diseases, and here again the addition of the acid to soap under ordinary conditions results in the formation of sodium salicylate and free fatty acids.

To overcome this a process has recently been patented for rubbing the acid up with vaseline before addition to soap, but the simplest way appears to be to add the soda salt of the acid to soap.

Amongst the more common milled medicated toilet soaps may be mentioned, in addition to the above:--

_Birch Tar Soap_, containing 5 or 10 per cent. birch tar, which has a characteristic pungent odour and is recommended as a remedy for eczema and psoriasis.

_Carbolic Soap._--A toilet soap should not contain more than 3 per cent.

of pure phenol, for with larger quant.i.ties irritation is likely to be experienced by susceptible skins.

_Coal Tar._--These soaps contain, in addition to carbolic acid and its h.o.m.ologues, naphthalene and other hydrocarbons derived from coal, naphthol, bases, etc. Various blends of different fractions of coal tar are used, but the most valuable const.i.tuents from a disinfectant point of view are undoubtedly the phenols, or tar acids, though in this case as with carbolic and cresylic soaps, the amount of phenols should not exceed 3 per cent. in a toilet soap. An excess of naphthalene should also be avoided, since, on account of its strong odour, soaps containing much of it are unpopular. The odour of coal tar is considerably modified by and blends well with a perfume containing oils of ca.s.sia, lavender, spike, and red thyme.

_Formaldehyde._--This substance is one of the most powerful disinfectants known, and it may be readily introduced into soap without undergoing any decomposition, by milling in 2-3 per cent. of formalin, a 40 per cent. aqueous solution of formaldehyde, which is a gas. White soaps containing this chemical retain their whiteness almost indefinitely.

New combinations of formaldehyde with other bodies are constantly being brought forward as disinfectants. Among others the compound resulting from heating lanoline with formaldehyde has been patented (Eng. Pat.

7,169, 1898), and is recommended as an antiseptic medicament for incorporation with soap.

_Glycerine._--Nearly all soaps contain a small quant.i.ty of this body which is not separated in the lyes. In some cases, however, a much larger quant.i.ty is desired, up to some 6 or 8 per cent. To mill this in requires great care, otherwise the soap tends to blister during compression. The best way is to dry the soap somewhat further than usual, till it contains say only 9 or 10 per cent. moisture and then mill in the glycerine.

_Ichthyol_ or _Ammonium-Ichthyol-Sulphonate_ is prepared by treating with sulphuric acid, and afterwards with ammonia, the hydrocarbon oil containing sulphur obtained by the dry distillation of the fossil remains of fish and sea-animals, which form a bituminous mineral deposit in Germany. This product has been admixed with soap for many years, the quant.i.ty generally used being about 5 per cent.; the resultant soap is possessed of a characteristic empyreumatic smell, very dark colour, and is recommended for rosacea and various skin diseases, and also as an anti-rheumatic. Ichthyol has somewhat changed its character during recent years, being now almost completely soluble in water, and stronger in odour than formerly.

_Iodine._--A soap containing iodine is sometimes used in scrofulous skin diseases. It should contain some 3 per cent. iodine, while pota.s.sium iodide should also be added to render the iodine soluble.

_Lysol._--This name is applied to a soap solution of cresol, "Lysol Soap" being simply another form of coal-tar soap. The usual strength is 10 per cent. lysol, and const.i.tutes a patented article (Fr. Pat.

359,061, 1905).

_Naphthol._--[beta]-Naphthol, also a coal-tar derivative, is a good germicide, and, incorporated in soap to the extent of 3 per cent.

together with sulphur, is recommended for scabies, eczema and many other cutaneous affections.

_Sulphur._--Since sulphur is insoluble in water, its action when used in conjunction with soap can be but very slow and slight. Sulphur soaps are, however, very commonly sold, and 10 per cent. is the strength usually advocated, though many so-called sulphur soaps actually contain very little sulphur. They are said to be efficacious for acne and rosacea.

Sulphur soaps, when dissolved in water, gradually generate sulphuretted hydrogen, which, although characteristic, makes their use disagreeable and lessens their popular estimation.

_Terebene._--The addition of this substance to soap, though imparting a very refres.h.i.+ng and pleasant odour, does not materially increase the disinfectant value of the soap. A suitable strength is 5 per cent.

_Thymol._--This furnishes a not unpleasant, and very useful antiseptic soap, recommended especially for the cleansing of ulcerated wounds and restoring the skin to a healthy state. The normal strength is 3 per cent. It is preferable to replace part of the thymol with red thyme oil, the thymene of which imparts a sweeter odour to the soap than if produced with thymol alone. A suitable blend is 2-1/2 per cent. of thymol crystals and 1-1/2 per cent. of a good red thyme oil.

Of the vast number of less known proposed additions to toilet soaps, mention may be made in pa.s.sing of:--

_Fluorides._--These have been somewhat popular during recent years for the disinfection of breweries, etc., and also used to some extent as food preservatives. Of course only neutral fluorides are available for use in soap, acid fluorides and soap being obviously incompatible. In the authors' experience, however, sodium fluoride appears to have little value as a germicide when added to soap, such soaps being found to rapidly become rancid and change colour.

_Alb.u.men._--The use of alb.u.men--egg, milk, and vegetable--in soap has been persistently advocated in this country during the past few years.

The claims attributed to alb.u.men are, that it neutralises free alkali, causes the soap to yield a more copious lather, and helps to bind it more closely, and a further inducement held out is that it allows more water to be left in the soap without affecting its firmness. Experiments made by the authors did not appear to justify any enthusiasm on the subject, and the use of alb.u.men for soap-making in this country appears to be very slight, however popular it may be on the Continent. Numerous other substances have been proposed for addition to soaps, including yeast, tar from peat (sphagnol), Swedish wood tar, permanganate of potash, perborates and percarbonates of soda and ammonia, chlorine compounds, but none of these has at present come much into favour, and some had only ephemeral existence. Of the many drugs that it has been suggested to admix in soap for use in allaying an irritable condition of the skin, the majority are obviously better applied in the form of ointments, and we need not consider them further.

_Ether Soap._--Another form of medicated soap made by a few firms is a liquid ether soap containing mercuric iodide, and intended for surgeons'

use. This, as a rule, consists of a soap made from olive oil and potash, dissolved in alcohol and mixed with ether, the mercuric iodide being dissolved in a few drops of water containing an equal weight of pota.s.sium iodide, and this solution added to the alcohol-ether soap.

_Floating Soaps._--Attempts have been made to produce tablets of soap that will float upon the surface of water, by inserting cork, or floats, or a metallic plate in such a manner that there is an air s.p.a.ce between the metal and the soap. The more usual method is to incorporate into hot soap sufficient air, by means of a specially designed self-contained jacketed crutcher, in which two shafts carrying small blades or paddles rotate in opposite directions, to reduce the density of the soap below that of water and so enable the compressed tablet to float. The difference in weight of a tablet of the same size before and after aerating amounts to 10 per cent.

Ordinary milling soap is used as a basis for this soap; the settled soap direct from the copper at 170 F. (77 C.) is carefully neutralised with bicarbonate of sodium, oleic or stearic acids, or boro-glyceride, perfumed and aerated.

Floating soap, which is usually white (some are of a cream tint), cannot be recommended as economical, whilst its deficiency in lathering properties, owing to occluded air, is a serious drawback to its popularity as a toilet detergent.

_Shaving Soaps._--The first essential of a shaving soap, apart from its freedom from caustic alkali or any substance exerting an irritating effect upon the skin, is the quick production of a profuse creamy lather which is lasting. Gum tragacanth is used in some cases to give lasting power or durability, but is not necessary, as this property is readily attained by the use of a suitable proportion of potash soap. The best shaving soaps are mixtures of various proportions of neutral soda and potash soaps, produced by the combination of ordinary milling base with a white potash soap, either melted or milled together. Glycerine is sometimes added, and is more satisfactorily milled in.

Every precaution should be taken to ensure thorough saponification of the soaps intended for blending in shaving soap, otherwise there will be a tendency to become discoloured and develop rancidity with age. Shaving soaps are delicately perfumed, and are placed on the market either in the form of sticks which are cut from the bar of soap as it leaves the compressor, or stamped in flat cakes.

Shaving creams and pastes are of the same nature as shaving soaps, but usually contain a larger proportion of superfatting material and considerably more water.

TEXTILE SOAPS.

In the woollen, cloth, and silk textile industries, the use of soap for detergent and emulsifying purposes is necessary in several of the processes, and the following is a brief description of the kinds of soap successfully employed in the various stages.