Why are sodium acetate and soduim propanoate poor ingredients for soaps?

Answer 1

Sodium propanoate and sodium acetate (NaC2H3O2) are not good soaps because they do not have a long enough hydrocarbon portion with which to bond to the "dirt". This question hinges on the fact that most dirt is relatively nonpolar in nature. Using the "like dissolves like" principle, it is expected that a suitable solvent for dirt be relatively nonpolar as well. Good soaps are therefore made from those fatty acids which contain long (but not too long) hydrocarbon chains in addition to the ionic "head" portion (which allows solubility in H2O). If the hydrocarbon portion is not sufficiently long, the acid will be too polar to dissolve dirt. Hope this helps.

Answer 2

Sodium acetate and sodium propanoate are poor ingredients for soaps because they do not have the necessary properties to create a stable and effective lather. Additionally, they do not possess the cleansing and moisturizing properties that are typically desired in soap formulations. These compounds are more commonly used in other applications such as food preservation or as buffering agents.

Answer 3

Sodium acetate and Sodium propionate have very short tails. As a results, their ability to form micelles and capture molecules of oils and fats is very limited.

Answer 4

Sodium methyl sulfate is not very water soluble.