Difference between Soap and Detergent
The difference between soap and detergent is that soap is a fatty acid and detergent is a combination of surfactants. We use them to clean the house. To distinguish between soap and detergent, we must analyze their characteristics:
Soaps |
Detergents |
|
---|---|---|
1. | Soaps are sodium or potassium salts of a long chain of carboxylic acids. | Detergents are ammonium or sulfonate salts of long chains of carboxylic acids. |
2. | Soaps are mostly biodegradable. | Detergents are non-biodegradable. |
3. | Soaps do not clean well in hard, acidic, and saline water. | They are effective in hard, saline, and acidic water as well. |
4. | They form scum with hard water. | They form lather with hard water. |
5. | They are made from natural compounds such as fatty acids or vegetable or animal fats. | Detergents are synthetically derived from chemicals. |
6. | Soap is generally prepared from plant and animal fats through saponification. | Petroleum (Petrochemicals) was found to be a plentiful source for the manufacture of detergent. |
7. | Soaps are not ionic in nature. | Detergents may be cationic, anionic, or non-ionic in nature. |
8. | They are not effective in hard water and saline water | They do not lose their effectiveness in hard water and saline water. |
9. | Examples: Sodium Stearate | Examples: Sodium lauryl sulfate |
Difference Between Soap and Detergent
Soaps and Detergents are cleaning agents that are used to remove dirt and other undesirable particles from the human body, its clothes, and other surfaces. Both soap and detergents are used for cleaning action but there are quite differences between them, and the differences between them if discussed in the article. In general, soap is the sodium or potassium salt of fatty acids while detergents are long-chain carboxylic acid quaternary ammonium or sulfonate salts.
In this article, we will learn about Soap, Detergents and their properties, their differences, and others in detail.
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