FORMULATION OF BIPHASE CLEANING AGENTS AND THEIR CLEANING EFFECT ON OILY SOILED METAL SUBSTRATES

Omuku P.; Onwumelu H.A. and Egwuatu, C.I.

Department of Pure and Industrial Chemistry

Nnamdi Azikwie University, Awka, Nigeria

E-mail: patrickemm@yahoo.co.uk

ABSTRACT

Castor oil and olive oil (vegetable oil) used in the preparation of the soda soaps in this investigation were bought from Onitsha main market, Anambra  state of Nigeria, while the soya bean oil was extracted from the soya bean seed.  Ternary diagram was utilized in the determination   of the various compositions of the biphase mixture (soap solution, kerosene and water) for the preparation of the biphase cleaning agents.  The rating of the cleaning performance of the biphase cleaning agents formulated from the different vegetable oil soda soaps were examined via a three-member panel.  Their judgement showed that castor oil had the best cleaning performance rating of 73% on the oily soiled metal surface.  The trend observed in their cleaning performance capacity was castor oil>olive oil>soya bean oil.  The solution of the soap alone could not effectively clean the oily soiled metal surfaces but the mixture of soap solution, kerosene and water performed  the magic of not only effectively cleaning.  The soiled metal substrates but did so with ease. The castor oil had the largest area of immiscibility of 220mm² while 148mm² and 156mm² were associated with olive oil and soya bean oil respectively.  The best cleaning performance of the biphase mixture was observed with compositions, 40% soap solution, 40% kerosene and 20% water.  This showed that the less the composition of water with a greater percentage of kerosene the more enhanced the cleaning capacity of the biphase mixture.  For a more effective and easy way of cleaning  oily  soiled metal substrates, a biphase mixture of soap solution, kerosene and water in the ratio of 2:2:1 may do the wonder.

KEYWORDS: biphase, immiscibility, oil, ternary diagram, mixture