MAKING AND QUALITY ANALYSIS OF SOAP FROM SUNFLOWER SEED

OIL (Helianthus annuus L.)

Ir. Indra Surya, M.Sc., Ph. D, Dian Kesuma Sitorus, Hamzah Arifin Sinambela
Department of Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, University of North Sumatra
Jl. Dr. Mansyur, Medan, 20155, Indonesia
Email :diankesumasitorus@students.usu.ac.id

Abstract
Soap is an alkali metal salt usually a sodium salt of fatty acids. The purpose of this experiment was to
study the process of making soap, and to analyze the quality of soap. The materials used in this
experiment were aquadest (H2O), hydrochloric acid (HCl), ethanol (C2H5OH), indicator
phenolphtalein (C20H14O4), sunflower seed oil, sodium oxide (NaOH), perfumes and dyes . The tools
used in this experiment are beaker glass, burette, cup, erlenmeyer, measuring cup, hot plate, clamp,
stative, and stirrer. In this experiment, sunflower seed oil is heated to temperatures between 60-700C.
Then mixed with NaOH slowly, and add perfume and dye while stirring with a magnetic stirrer. After
thickening, then poured into a petri dish coated by plastic wrap. Soap analysis was done by weighing
5 grams of soap sample then dissolved with 100 ml ethanoldi in beaker glass. Taken 5 ml of this
solution, and drop the phenolphtalein indicator. Then the solution was titrated with 0.1 N HCl
solution. The soap mass obtained from this experiment was 99.31 grams with a theoretical mass of
100,228 grams to obtain a correction of 0.9% and the free alkali content of soap was 6.96%.

Keywords: free alkali, ethanol, sunflower seed oil, soap, titration.

Preliminary food industry in the form of kwaci and

Soap is a material used for washing and
emulsifying.It consists of two main components
namely fatty acids with carbon chains C16 and
sodium or potasium. Soap is a cleanser made by
chemical reactions between potassium or
sodium with fatty acids from vegetable oil or
animal fat. Soap made from NaOH is known as
hard soap, while soaps made with KOH are
known as soft soaps [1].
The problem formulation of this
experiment is how to make soap from sunflower
seed oil with NaOH and how to analyze the free
alkali content in soap.
The purpose of this experiment is to
learn how to make soap and ways analyzing the
free alkali content of the soap.
Theory
Sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.)
belongs to the compositae family. In the
beginning sunflower plants are known as
ornamental plants. Sunflower seed oil is one
type of vegetable oil that the developer is still
limited in Indonesia. Sunflower seed oil
contains linoleic acid 44-72% and oleic acid
11,7%. Sunflower seed oil is used for various
purposes such as cooking oil, margarine
making, cosmetic ingredients and medicines,
besides oil-based cake or pulp containing 13-
20% protein, which can be used as animal feed.
For example sunflower seeds include low oil
cholesterol, corn oil, peanut oil, and soybean oil
so it is good for health.
One of the main products of sunflower is
its seeds are processed as raw materials for the
vegetable oilseeds needed in the oil industry.
Some industries in Indonesia still have to import
sunflower seed oil, the high imports of
sunflower seed oil in Indonesia due to lack of
supply from domestic, inadequate quality, and
continuity of unreliable results [2].
Soap is a cleaning product for human
skin such as detergent, soap has hydrophobic
group which interact with oil and water-soluble
anionic tip. The soap mechanism of lifting oil or
fat from the object is water soluble soap
molecule and hydrophobic tip surrounds the oil
molecule while the dissolved anionic end in
water forming micelles so that the oil is
detached from the object [3].
Oil saponification is a term applied to
operations where oil reacts with alkali to form
glycerol and fatty acids. The production of fatty
acids and glycerol from essential oils is
particularly important in the oleochemical
industry [1].
Figure 1. Saponification Reaction [3]
There are several factors that influence
the saponification reaction, among others :
1. The concentration of KOH / NaOH solution,
the base concentration used is calculated
based on the stoichiometry of the reaction,
 in which the addition of the base must be
slightly excessive from the oil in order to be
completely sterilized.
2. Since the saponification reaction is an
exothermic reaction (ΔH negative), then the
temperature rise will be able to minimize the
price of K (balance constant), but if it is
viewed in terms of kinetics, the temperature
rise will increase the reaction rate.
3. Stirring, stirring is carried out to increase the
probability of collisions of reactant
molecules reacting. If the collision between
reactant molecules gets bigger, then the
chance of reaction is getting bigger too.
4. The time, the longer the reaction time causes
more oil to be accumulated, the higher the
yield, but if the reaction has reached the
equilibrium, the addition of time will not
increase the amount of oil deposited [1].
Research Methodology
The materials used in this experiment
are:
1. Aquadest, as a solvent.
2. Hydrochloric acid, as the test tester at free
alkali level.
3. Ethanol, as a solvent of soap to be titrated.
4. Indicator of phenolpthalein, as indicator in
titration.
5. Sunflower seed oil, as the main ingredient of
soap making.
6. Sodium hydroxide, as a mixing agent in
soap making.
7. Perfume, as an odor-giving agent in soap.
8. Dye, as a color giver on soap.
The tools used in this experiment are:
1. Beaker glass, as a mixing solution.
2. Buret, as a container of titrant.
3. Petri dish, as a soap printer.
4. Erlenmeyer, as the solution container to be
titrated.
5. Hot plate, a tool for heating the sample and
solution.
6. Statif, as a burette buffer.
7. Clamps, as a burette clamp.
8. Magnetic stirrer, a tool for stirring solution.
9. Plastic wrap, to coat the petri dish.
10. Electric balance, tool for weighing.
In the experiment of making and
analyzing the quality of soap there are two
steps: making soap and analyzing the free alkali
content on soap. Procedure of making soap by
putting 50 grams of sunflower seed oil into
beaker glass and heated samapai temperature
60-70oC.Kemudian added sodium hydroxide
solution (NaOH) while stirred with a magnetic
stirrer. Then added perfume and dye
sufficiently. If the solution has thickened pour
into a petri dish that had previously been coated
with plastic wrap to prevent the sticky soap in
petri dishes. Silenced for 45 minutes at room
temperature. The next step is to analyze the free
alkali content of soap by taking 5 grams of soap
sample. Cut the soap into a small size. Once it is
dissolved with 100 ml of ethanol in a beaker
glass. Stirred until the mixture is homogeneous.
Then, 5 ml of the solution is then dropped with
phenolpthalein indicator. Titrated with 0.1N
hydrochloric acid (HCl) solution to a white
solution.
Results
The results obtained from the experiment
of making and analyzing the quality of this soap
are:
Table 1. Test Data of Soap Quality
Preparation and Analysis
Mass
Mass of Alkali
Soap Error
Material Mol Ratio Solution Free
Practice (%)
(gram) (%)
(gram)
Oil 1 50
Water 9 28,868 99,31 0,9 6,96
NaOH 3 21,36
In this experiment the alkali compound
used was sodium hydroxide (NaOH). This
experiment begins by mixing sunflower seed oil
with sodium hydroxide solution according to the
mole ratio then heated over the hot plate. The
solution is stirred with a magnetic stirrer while
remaining heated. After the thickening solution
is added perfume and dye, where in this
experiment the dye used is red. If it has
thickened the solution poured into a petri dish
and silenced until the soap hardens. After the
harden is taken as much as 5 grams then
dissolved with ethanol. The solution was tested
with 2 drops of phenolpthalein and titrated with
0.1N hydrochloric acid (HCl) solution to a
white soap solution solution.
From the experimental results obtained
by the theoretical mass obtained in theory is
100,228 grams with soap mass practice of 99.31
grams. So that the percentage of errata is 0.9%.
Errors in the experiment of making this
soap are obtained, caused by:
1. The alkali content used is too excessive or
the alkaline solution is too concentrated.
2. The content of unsaturated fatty acids in
soap
3. Less in stirring so that NaOH is not mixed
evenly in oil solution
In a standard study according to SNI 06-
3532-1994 ie, the free alkali content of soap is
less than 0.1% for sodium hydroxide (NaOH).
Free alkali is alkali in soap that is not bound to
fatty acids to form fatty acid (soap). Alkali in
bath soap should not exceed 0.1% for sodium,
because alkaline has a harsh and irritating
properties on the skin. If the free alkali level is
too high, it will result in drying out the skin [4].
Based on experimental results of free
alkali content obtained from the experiment of
soap quality analysis is 6.96%, while based on
the theory alkali levels should not exceed 0.1%
so that the results obtained are not in accordance
with the theory.
The things that can cause free alkali
levels in this experiment exceed 0.1% are:
1. Adding excessive alkali to the saponification
process
2. Oil and NaOH solution stirred using a
magnetic stirrer when heating is not too
thick but already put in a petri dish so the
soap is difficult to harden.
3. Soap dissolves uniformly in dilution by
ethanol at the time of being titrated.
Figure 2. Result of Soap Experiment
Figure 3. Result of Titration of Soap Solution
Conclusion
The conclusions obtained from the
experiment of soap making and soap quality
analysis is the theoretical mass of the theory of
100.228 grams with the mass of soap obtained
in practice of 99.31 grams. Therefore, the
percentage of massacabun recovered was 0.9%.
In the analysis of soap quality of free alkali
content obtained is 6.96%. Therefore the soap is
unusable because it contains more than 0.1%
free alkali content for sodium. And the soap
obtained from this soap-making experiment is a
hard soap in accordance with the alkali used ie
NaOH.
Thank-you note
The author would like to thank Mr. Ir.
Indra Surya, M.Sc., Ph.D as the author's
lecturer, all laboratory assistants of Organic
Chemistry, especially abangda Hamzah Arifin
Sinambela, fellow classmates especially M.
Otzeman Nur S group XXVIII (twenty eight)
who helped in writing this journal.
Bibliography
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