What Are the Key Chemicals Involved in Cleaning and How Do They Work?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the chemicals involved in cleaning processes and their roles within the cleaning industry. Participants explore various chemical reactions, physical processes, and the definitions of cleaning in different contexts, including consumer products and specialized applications.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Technical explanation
  • Conceptual clarification
  • Homework-related

Main Points Raised

  • One participant identifies key chemicals such as water, soaps, fats, oils, and alkali as relevant to cleaning but expresses uncertainty about their roles.
  • Another suggests studying colloids and related concepts like polar and lipophilic ends to understand cleaning mechanisms.
  • A participant questions whether colloids represent the chemical reactions involved in cleaning.
  • It is noted that many cleaning processes rely on physical processes like emulsification rather than traditional chemical reactions, and participants are encouraged to research specific chemical reactions used in cleaning.
  • Examples of specialized cleaning processes are provided, such as using oxalic acid for rust stains and hydrofluoric acid for silicon wafers, highlighting the need for specific chemistry in different cleaning contexts.
  • A detailed assignment is shared, outlining the requirements for researching the cleaning industry, including identifying chemical reactions, their roles, benefits, and environmental concerns.
  • One participant emphasizes the need to define what constitutes the 'cleaning' industry for the assignment, suggesting a focus on soaps and detergents.
  • Another participant mentions the rising price of beef tallow used in soap production due to increased demand, indicating economic factors affecting the industry.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express varying levels of understanding and interpretation of cleaning processes, with some agreeing on the importance of physical processes while others seek clarification on chemical reactions. The discussion remains unresolved regarding the specific definitions and roles of chemicals in cleaning.

Contextual Notes

Participants highlight the complexity of defining cleaning processes and the diversity of chemicals involved, indicating that the discussion may depend on specific contexts and applications within the cleaning industry.

hotgurl1
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I am in an on-line chemistry class and I am having trouble figuring out Chemical reactions upon which Cleaning relies on and the role that it plays in the cleaning industry?:confused: Can somebody please help me

I think it is:
Water
Soaps
Fats and Oils
Alkali

...but I'm not really sure
 
Physics news on Phys.org
Study Colloids.
You want to understand polar, lipophilic end, lipophobic end, fatty acid, neutralized fatty acid, suspension, emulsion.
 
Im still confused is Colloids the chemical reaction for cleaning
 
'Cleaning' is a very general term. Most cleaning chemicals rely on physical processes (such as emulsification) to remove soils and I wouldn't consider their action to be a 'chemical reaction'. If your assignment interprets 'chemcial reaction' to encompass physical processes, then you should Google the terms that Symbolpoint recommends.

Some specialized detergent forumulations contain materials to remove stubborn soils (stains) such as blood, grass stains, oil stains, etc. Google these terms to research some real chemical reactions used in cleaning. Also try 'hydrolysis'.

Some 'cleaning' processes are specially designed for the application. For example, if I were cleaning rust stains from concrete, I might use acidic oxalic acid. The forumuation reacts with rust (iron (III) oxide) and reduces the iron to a soluble iron (II) species which can be rinsed away. If I were cleaning silicon wafers, I might use hydrofluoric acid to remove silica (SiO2) from the silicon substrate. Cleaning silver requires its own specific chemistry.

Try it from there.
 
Here's the assignment

Choose one of the industries listed below to research.

automobile
cleaning
clothing manufacture
computer
construction
cosmetic
dental
farming
food preparation
food processing
fuel
law enforcement
medical
photography
software

Your report should contain information on the following topics.

Identify chemical reactions upon which the industry relies.

Determine the role that each reaction plays in the industry.

How are the products of the reaction used by the industry?

What benefits does the process bring to the industry or to the larger society?

Obtain industry statistics regarding the annual consumption or production of the reaction species.

Has the industry made any recent advances that have chemical foundations?

Are there environmental concerns that arise as a result of the chemical processes?

Detail the nature of any environmental problems associated with the chemical processes.

What solutions and precautions are in place to prevent environmental accidents?
 
Thats much more general than I had anticipated...
You should first define for your purposes what comprises the 'cleaning' industry. One example would be 'soaps and detergents used in consumer products'. This would be a fairly large segment of the industry and would be somewhat representative of what you would find for the industrial and specialized cleaning industry. Chemical and Engineering News (C&E News) as an issue devoted to the Soaps and Detergents Industry every year. The website is http://pubs.acs.org/cen/coverstory/7903/7903prod1.html. It will give you an overview of the industry's trials and tribulations and might give you an 'experts view' of what is topical at the moment. One timely topic being discussed in the news is the price of beef tallow. Beef tallow is used to make some soaps and specialty surfactants. Apparently the price of beef tallow has risen substantially due to increased demand from the feed companies. It is used to increase the calorie value of animal feed. Normally, relatively inexpensive soybean oil and corn oil were used for this purpose but with the demand for soybean oil from the biodiesel industry and corn oil from the ethanol industry, the price for these oils are now too high and the availability too uncertain for the animal feed market.

http://money.aol.com/news/articles/_a/soap-makers-hurt-by-us-fuel-rules/n20070710104009990001?cid=1209

A more introductory view of the industry can be found in Wikipedia (Soap, Detergent, surfactant, bleach).
 
Science is my weak subject so it is taking me time to understand. Thank God I am on my last chapter with my online class. So you're saying that (Soap, Detergent, surfactant, bleach).
 
hotgurl1 said:
Science is my weak subject so it is taking me time to understand. Thank God I am on my last chapter with my online class. So you're saying that (Soap, Detergent, surfactant, bleach).

I think I said a little more than that... but you decide.
 

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