Soap vs. Detergent
Key Differences
Comparison Chart
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Formation Reaction
Main Group
Lather Formation
Precipitate Formation
Biodegradability
Examples
Soap and Detergent Definitions
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Soap vs. Detergent
A soap is a salt of fatty acids, whereas a detergent is a salt of sulphonic acid. A soap has – COONa group in it. Conversely, a detergent has –SO3Na group in it. Soaps do not work effectively with hard water, acidic water, and marine water. On the other hand, detergents work well with hard water, acidic water, and marine water.
Soaps are entirely biodegradable; they can be disintegrated by living organisms like bacteria. On the flip side, specific detergents consisting of branched hydrocarbon chains are non-biodegradable, which means they cannot be decomposed by living organisms.
Soaps do not work well with woolen garments, whereas a detergent can work its best with woolen garments. Soaps may cause irritation or itching to skin. Conversely, a detergent generally does not cause irritation or itching sensation to the skin. A soap dissolves slowly in water, whereas a detergent dissolves faster in water.
A soap is a chemical that is produced by a saponification reaction between fatty acid and a base like sodium hydroxide. On the flip side, a detergent is not made by a saponification reaction because it contains sulphonic acid instead of fatty acid. Soaps are comprised of natural ingredients, whereas a detergent has a synthetic origin.
The soap contains a straight-chain carbon skeleton with its one end having a carboxylic acid group. In contrast, a detergent contains a sulfate or sulphonate group instead of the carboxylic acid group at one end of its aliphatic or straight-chain carbon skeleton.
What is Soap?
A soap is a metal salt of fatty acid. A soap comprises an acyclic or straight-chain carbon skeleton with the carboxylic acid group at one end of the chain. Soaps are made by a saponification reaction between the carboxylic acid group and alkalies like sodium or potassium hydroxide. Calcium and magnesium hydroxide can also be used in the saponification reaction with fatty acid.
A soap is a surfactant that diminishes the surface pressure between a liquid and other substances and is used for cleaning our skin. Soaps are believed to be made of natural ingredients such as vegetal oils and animal fats. High-quality soaps are made up of oils like palm oil, castor oil, coconut oil, or olive oil by retaining them with natural glycerine.
Soap consists of the hydrophilic head in the form of a carboxyl group, whereas a hydrophobic tail in the form of a hydrocarbon tail. Soaps are environment friendly as they are biodegradable. They are decomposed easily by living organisms like bacteria and turn into simple compounds without causing pollution.
Soaps lean towards forming scum with hard water. Soap does not work well with hard water, acidic water, or marine water. Soaps tend to form lather with hard water. They may cause skin irritation.
Soaps have moderately weak purgative action as compared to detergents. Soaps work by acid-base reactions with dirt and grease molecules by turning them into fatty acids. Soap particles dissolve into ions. These ions surround the dirt particles, starting the cleansing action.
What is Detergent?
Detergents are generally of synthetic origin. Instead of a carboxylic acid group, detergents contain a highly ionic group of sulfate or sulphonate ion at one end of its aliphatic carbon skeleton. Detergents also include aromatic rings in them.
A detergent acts as a surfactant as well as a foaming agent. Detergent can also act as dispersants. Detergents also include nitrogen compounds in their formation, which appear as a ring in their structure. Conventional detergents use phosphate or sulfate head-groups, i.e., sodium dodecyl sulfate.
The effectiveness of detergents is not affected by the presence of certain minerals in water that is associated with hard water. Detergents can be defined as sodium or potassium salts of long-chain benzene sulphonic acid.
Detergents can be biodegradable or non-biodegradable. The detergents having a branched hydrocarbon chain are included in non-biodegradable detergents. Detergents can work well with hard water, saline water, or acidic water. They do not form scum and lather with hard water and have intense cleansing action as compared to soaps.
A detergent can be applied for cleaning woolen garments, while soap cannot be used for such purposes. Detergents dissolve faster in water as compared to soaps and do not irritate the skin. Detergents are not environment friendly as they release toxic chemicals in the environment and are non-biodegradable.
Detergents form thick foam that becomes a barrier for aquatic life respiration, resulting in the death of aquatic organisms. Detergents are categorized into three groups, including cationic detergents, anionic detergents, and zwitterionic detergents.
