The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1925-12-08

ing flne fabrics. In China, the West
Indies. and elsewhere, soapberries
Cgenus Sapindus) are similarly en-
ployed.
Either vegetable or animal fat
may be used, and of the latter the
fat from cattle and sheep takes first
place. The list OF vegetable fats that
may be used includes, coconut,
palm, cottonseed, and soy oil AS
an excess of fat in soap would re.
suit in too greasy a mass for the
removal Of grease and dirt, and an
excess Of alkali would burn the skin
and rot the clothing, nice balance
must be obtained.
In the big soap-maSing establish
ments, soap Is made in big kettles,
just as in the days of our forefathers,
but the kettles are Of immense size
some have a capacity of seventeen
tons. equivalent TO ten or twelve
carloads of the finished products.
These kettles are made of steel plate
riveted together, with cone
shaped bottom. They are heated by
steam coils and have inlet pipes for
water, I've and other materials. First
the fats are run into the kettles. An
alkali is added and "saponification"
takes place; that is, the fats break
up into their component parts-fat.
ty acid and glycerin-and the fatty
acids combine with the alkall, max
ing soap. The glycerin settles to
the bottom when a saturated salt
solution is added. In making ordi..
nary yellow laundry and kitchen
soaps. this glycerin. which is very
valuable, is drawn off from the bot
tom and is carefully preserved. The
glycerin is not removed from some
soaps; others are made from free
fatty acids In which there is no
glycerin.
Boiled and Cooled
The soap is boiled a number of
times to purify it and then is left
to cool. This process, in the large
watts, takes about two weeks. Then
it is run off into what is known as
the "crutcher," where the mass is
beaten smooth by paddle blades re-
volving on a central shaft. Perfume
and coloring mater are added to the
product at this point. If desired.
Resin is added to laundry soaps In
the boiling, giving them their yellow
color.
From the crutcher the soap goes
nt. H.,
drying room. When the soap lis
hardened the sides of the frame are
stripped off and the blocks of soap
removed. They go into the cutting
machines to be divided into bars, and
the bars are dried. pressed into
cakes and wrapped. Some wrap
ping machines wrap $4,000 cakes
daily.
The boiling process Is the same for
toilet and laundry soaps, except that
the fats for the latter are poorer
quality. The toilet soaps do not go
to the crutcher, but are sent directly
to the drying rom. Then they go
to the mixer or mill" where per-
fumes and coloring matter are add
ed. The mill consists of a number
of revolving stone rollers set closely
together in an iron frame; this con-
denses the soap. The soap leaves
the mill in the shape of thin ribbons.
and is then pressed into a compact
mass and cut into cakes.
Transparent soaps are prepared in
two ways, either by dissolving or
binary soap in alcohol or by "cold
process" which leaves the glycerin
in the soap. In the first case the
alcohol solution is decanted and the
alcohol distilled o; the residue Is
a thick. transparent jelly, which,
when cast into forms andaallowed to
dry, come out as transparent mass.
Glycerin soap consists Of glycerin
and soap In about equal parts. An
excess of glycerin makes liquid
soap. In some soaps. fine sand or
pumice are Incorporated, and the
result Is a securing soap. Soap
powders are powdered mixtures Of
soaps, soda ash and sodium car
Donate. The Bocallled floating"
soaps are usually made by forcing
air into the hot soap. Medlcated
soaps contain substances which ex-
erclse a specific influence on the
skin. Among the principal varieties
are those that contain carbolio acid,
petroleum, borax, camphor. sulphur
and mercurial salts. CASTLE soap ID
a hard, white soap with olive oil as
its fatty base. 1t approaches the
nearest to a perfect soap-without
smell or color. Naptha soap usually
contains kerosene, which is a pow
erful grease solvent.