Chapter I: II III (15)

Aluminum soap is the most important. Dissolved in benzine or oil of turpentine, it furnishes an excellent varnish. It has been proposed to use these solutions for the varnishing of leather; they furthermore serve for the production of waterproof linen and cloths, paper, etc. Jarry recommended this compound for impregnating railroad ties to render them weatherproof.

Manganese soap is used as a siccative in the preparation of linseed-oil varnish, as well as for a drier to be added to paints. Zinc soap is used in the same manner.

Copper soap enters into the composition of gilding wax, and is also employed for bronzing plaster of Paris articles. For the same purpose, a mixture is made use of consisting of copper soap and iron soap melted in white lead varnish and wax. Iron soap is used with aluminum soap for waterproofing purposes and for the production of a waterproof varnish. By using wax instead of a soap, insoluble metallic soaps are obtained, which, melted in oils or wax, impart brilliant colorings to them; but colored waterproof and weather-resisting varnishes may also be produced with them. Metallic rosin soaps may be produced by double decomposition of potash rosin soaps and a soluble metal salt. From these, good varnishes are obtained to render paper carriage covers, etc., waterproof; they may also be employed for floor wax or lacquers.

«Petroleum Soap.»—

I.—Beeswax, refined 4 parts
Alcohol 5 parts
Castile soap, finely grated 10 parts
Petroleum 5 parts

Put the petroleum into a suitable vessel along with the wax and alcohol and cautiously heat on the water bath, with an occasional agitation, until complete solution is effected. Add the soap and continue the heat until it is dissolved. When this occurs remove from the bath and stir until the soap begins to set, then pour into molds.

II.—The hydrocarbons (as petroleum, vaseline, etc.) are boiled with a sufficient quantity of alkali to form a soap, during which process they absorb oxygen and unite with the alkali to form fatty acid salts. The resulting soap is dissolved in water containing alkali, and the solution is heated along with alkali and salt. The mass of soap separates out in three layers, the central one being the purest; and from this product the fatty acids may be recovered by treatment with sulphuric acid.

«Perfumes for Soap.»—From 1 to 2 ounces of the following mixtures are to be used to 10 pounds of soap:

I.—Oil of rose geranium 2 ounces
Oil of patchouli 1/2 ounce
Oil of cloves 1/2 ounce
Oil of lavender flowers 1 ounce
Oil of bergamot 1 ounce
Oil of sandalwood 1 ounce

II.—Oil of bergamot 2 ounces
Oil of orange flowers 2 ounces
Oil of sassafras 2 ounces
Oil of white thyme 3 ounces
Oil of cassia 3 ounces
Oil of cloves 3 ounces

III.—Oil of citronella 1 ounce
Oil of cloves 1 ounce
Oil of bitter almonds 2 ounces

«Pumice-Stone Soaps.»—These soaps are always produced by the cold process, either from cocoanut oil alone or in conjunction with tallow, cotton oil, bleached palm oil, etc. The oil is melted and the lye stirred in at about 90° F.; next, the powdered pumice stone is sifted into the soap and the latter is scented. Following are some recipes:

I.—Cocoanut oil 40,000 parts
Cotton oil 10,000 parts
Caustic soda lye, 38° Bé 24,000 parts
Caustic potash lye, 30° Bé 1,000 parts
Powdered pumice stone 25,000 parts
Cassia oil 150 parts
Rosemary oil 100 parts
Lavender oil 50 parts
Safrol 50 parts
Clove oil 10 parts

II.—Cocoanut oil 50,000 parts
Caustic soda lye, 40° Bé 25,000 parts {649}
Powdered pumice stone 50,000 parts
Lavender oil 250 parts
Caraway oil 80 parts

«Shaving Soaps.»

I.—Palm oil soap 5 pounds
Oil of cinnamon 10 drachms
Oil of caraway 2 drachms
Oil of lavender 2 drachms
Oil of thyme 1 drachm
Oil of peppermint 45 minims
Oil of bergamot 2 1/2 drachms

Melt the soap, color if desired, and incorporate the oils.

II.—Soap 10 pounds
Alcohol 1 ounce
Oil of bitter almonds 1 1/4 ounces
Oil of bergamot 3/4 ounce
Oil of mace 3 drachms
Oil of cloves 1/2 ounce

Melt the soap with just enough water to convert it into a soft paste when cold; dissolve the oils in the alcohol, mix with the paste, and rub up in a mortar, or pass several times through a kneading machine.

III.—White castile soap 5 parts
Alcohol 15 parts
Rose water 15 parts

«SOAP POWDERS.»

The raw materials of which soap powder is made are soap and soda, to which ingredients an addition of talcum or water glass can be made, if desired, these materials proving very useful as a filling. An excellent soap powder has been made of 20 parts of crystallized soda, 5 parts of dark-yellow soap (rosin curd), and 1 part of ordinary soft soap. At first the two last mentioned are placed in a pan, then half the required quantity of soda is added, and the whole is treated. Here it must be mentioned that the dark-yellow curd soap, which is very rosinous, has to be cut in small pieces before placing the quantity into the pan. The heating process must continue very slowly, and the material has to be crutched continually until the whole of the substance has been thoroughly melted. Care must be taken that the heating process does not reach the boiling point. The fire underneath the pan must now be extinguished, and then the remaining half of the crystallized soda is added to be crutched with the molten ingredients, until the whole substance has become liquid. The liquefaction is assisted by the residual heat of the first heated material and the pan. The slow cooling facilitates the productive process by thickening the mass, and when the soda has been absorbed, the whole has become fairly thick. With occasional stirring of the thickened liquid the mass is left for a little while longer, and when the proper moment has arrived the material contained in the pan is spread on sheets of thin iron, and these are removed to a cool room, where, after the first cooling, they must be turned over by means of a shovel, and the turning process has to be repeated at short intervals until the material has quite cooled down and the mixture is thoroughly broken. The soap is now in a very friable condition, and the time has now come to make it into powder, for which purpose it is rubbed through the wire netting or the perforated sieves. Generally the soap is first rubbed through a coarse sieve, and then through finer ones, until it has reached the required conditions of the powder. Some of the best soap powders are coarse, but other manufacturers making an equally good article prefer the finer powder, which requires a little more work, since it has to go through three sieves, whereas the coarse powder can do with one or at most two treatments. But this is, after all, a matter of local requirements or personal taste.

The powder obtained from the above-mentioned ingredients is fine and yellow colored, and it has all the qualities needed for a good sale. Instead of the dark-yellow soap, white stock soap can also be used, and this makes only a little difference in the coloring. But again white stock soap can be used, and the same color obtained by the use of palm oil, or other coloring ingredients, as these materials are used for giving the toilet soaps their manifold different hues. Many makers state that this process is too expensive, and not only swallows up all the profit, but some of the color materials influence the soap and not to its advantage.

Soft soap is used only to make the powder softer and easier soluble, and for this reason the quantity to be used varies a little and different manufacturers believe to have a secret by adding different quantities of this material. As a general statement it may be given that the quantity of soft soap for the making of soap powder should not overstep the proportion of one to three, compared with the quantity of hard soap; any excess in this direction would frustrate the desires of the maker, and land him with a product which has become smeary and moist, forming into balls and lumping together {650} in bags or cases, to become discolored and useless. It is best to stick to the proportion as given, 5 parts of hard and 1 part of soft soap, when the produced powder will be reliable and stable and not form into balls even if the material is kept for a long while.

This point is of special importance, since soap powder is sold mostly in weighed-out packages of one and a half pounds. Most manufacturers will admit that loose soap powder forms only a small part of the quantities produced, as only big laundries and institutions purchase same in bags or cases. The retail trade requires the soap powder wrapped up in paper, and if this has to be done the powder must not be too moist, as the paper otherwise will fall to pieces. This spoils the appearance of the package, and likely a part of the quantity may be lost. When the powder is too moist or absorbs easily external moisture, the paper packages swell very easily and burst open.

The best filling material to be employed when it is desired to produce a cheaper article is talcum, and in most cases this is preferred to water glass. The superiority of the former over the latter is that water glass hardens the powder, and this is sometimes done to such an extent, when a large quantity of filling material is needed, that it becomes very difficult to rub the soap through the sieves. In case this difficulty arises, only one thing can be done to lighten the task, and that is to powderize the soap when the mixed materials are still warm, and this facilitates the work very much. It is self-evident that friction under these conditions leaves a quantity of the soap powder material on the sieves, and this cannot be lost. Generally it is scraped together and returned to the pan to be included in the next batch, when it is worked up, and so becomes useful, a need which does not arise when talcum has been used as a filling material. Again, the soap powder made with the addition of water glass is not so soluble, and at the same time much denser than when the preparation has been made without this material. It is thus that the purchaser receives by equal weight a smaller-looking quantity, and as the eye has generally a great influence when the consumer determines a purchase, the small-sized parcels will impress him unfavorably. This second quality of soap powder is made of the same ingredients as the other, except that an addition of about 6 parts of talcum is made, and this is stirred up with the other material after all the soda has been dissolved. Some makers cheapen the products also by reducing the quantity of hard soap from 5 to 3 parts and they avoid the filling; the same quantity of soda is used in all cases. On the same principle a better quality is made by altering the proportions of soda and soap the other way. Experiments will soon show which proportions are most suitable for the purpose.

So-called ammonia-turpentine soap powder has been made by crutching oil of turpentine and ammonia with the materials just about the time before the whole is taken out of the heating pan. Some of the powder is also scented, and the perfume is added at the same time and not before. In most of the latter cases mirbane oil is used for the purpose.

These powders are adaptable to hard water, as their excess of alkali neutralizes the lime that they contain:

I.—Curd (hard) soap, powdered 4 parts
Sal soda 3 parts
Silicate of soda 2 parts

Make as dry as possible, and mix intimately.

«Borax Soap Powder.»—

II.—Curd (hard) soap, in powder 5 parts
Soda ash 3 parts
Silicate of soda 2 parts
Borax (crude) 1 part

Each ingredient is thoroughly dried, and all mixed together by sieving.

«London Soap Powder.»—

III.—Yellow soap 6 parts
Soda crystals 3 parts
Pearl ash 1 1/2 parts
Sulphate of soda 1 1/2 parts
Palm oil 1 part

«TOILET SOAPS.»

The question as to the qualities of toilet soaps has a high therapeutical significance. Impurity of complexion and morbid anomalies of the skin are produced by the use of poor and unsuitable soaps. The latter, chemically regarded, are salts of fatty acids, and are prepared from fats and a lye, the two substances being mixed in a vessel and brought to a boil, soda lye being used in the preparation of toilet soaps. In boiling together a fat and a lye, the former is resolved into its component parts, a fatty acid and glycerine. The {651} acid unites with the soda lye, forming a salt, which is regarded as soap. By the addition of sodium chloride, this (the soap) is separated and swims on the residual liquid as “kern,” or granulated soap. Good soaps were formerly made only from animal fats, but some of the vegetable oils or fats have been found to also make excellent soap. Among them the best is cacao butter.

From a hygienic standpoint it must be accepted as a law that a good toilet soap must contain no free (uncombined) alkali, every particle of it must be chemically bound up with fatty acid to the condition of a salt, and the resultant soap should be neutral in reaction. Many of the soaps found in commerce to-day contain free alkali, and exert a harmful effect upon the skin of those who use them. Such soaps may readily be detected by bringing them into contact with the tongue. If free alkali be present it will make itself known by causing a burning sensation—something that a good toilet soap should never do.

The efficiency of soap depends upon the fact that in the presence of an abundance of water the saponified fat is decomposed into acid and basic salts, in which the impurities of the skin are dissolved and are washed away by the further application of water. Good soap exerts its effects on the outer layer of the skin, the so-called horny (epithelial) layer, which in soapy water swells up and is, in fact, partially dissolved in the medium and washed away. This fact, however, is unimportant, since the superficial skin cells are reproduced with extraordinary rapidity and ease. When a soap contains or carries free alkali, the caustic effects of the latter are carried further and deeper, reaching below the epithelial cells and attacking the true skin, in which it causes minute rifts and splits and renders it sore and painful. Good soap, on the contrary, makes the skin smooth and soft.

Since the employment of poor soaps works so injuriously upon the skin, many persons never, or rarely ever, use soap, but wash the face in water alone, or with a little almond bran added. Their skins cannot bear the regular application of poor soap. This, however, applies only to poor, free-alkali containing soaps. Any skin can bear without injury any amount of a good toilet soap, free from uncombined alkali and other impurities. The habit of washing the face with water only, without the use of soap, must be regarded as one altogether bad, since the deposits on the skin, mostly dust-particles and dead epithelial cells, mingling with the oily or greasy matter exuded from the fat glands of the skin—excellent nutrient media for colonies of bacteria—cannot be got rid of by water alone. Rubbing only forces the mass into the openings in the skin (the sweat glands, fat glands, etc.), and stops them up. In this way are produced the so-called “black heads” and other spots and blotches on the skin usually referred to by the uneducated, or partially educated, as “parasites.” The complexion is in this manner injured quite as much by the failure to use good soap as by the use of a poor or bad article.

All of the skin troubles referred to may be totally avoided by the daily use of a neutral, alkali-free soap, and the complexion thus kept fresh and pure. Completely neutral soaps, however, are more difficult to manufacture—requiring more skill and care than those in which no attention is paid to excess of alkali—and consequently cost more than the general public are accustomed, or, in fact, care to pay for soaps. While this is true, one must not judge the quality of a soap by the price demanded for it. Some of the manufacturers of miserable soaps charge the public some of the most outrageous prices. Neither can a soap be judged by its odor or its style of package and putting on the market.

To give a soap an agreeable odor the manufacturers add to it, just when it commences to cool off, an etheric oil (such as attar of rose, oil of violets, bergamot oil, etc.), or some balsamic material (such as tincture of benzoin, for instance). It should be known, however, that while grateful to the olfactory nerves, these substances do not add one particle to the value of the soap, either as a detergent or as a preserver of the skin or complexion.

Especially harmful to the skin are soaps containing foreign substances, such, for instance, as the starches, gelatin, clay, chalk, gums, or rosins, potato flour, etc., which are generally added to increase the weight of soap. Such soaps are designated, very significantly, “filled soaps,” and, as a class, are to be avoided, if for no other reason, on account of their lack of true soap content. The use of these fillers should be regarded as a criminal falsification under the laws regarding articles of domestic use, since they are sold at a relatively high price, yet contain foreign matter, harmful to health. {652}

«RECIPES FOR COLD-STIRRED TOILET SOAPS.»

Parts by
weight
I.—Cocoanut oil 30
Castor oil 3
Caustic soda lye (38° Bé) 17 1/2

Pink Soap.—

Parts by
weight
II.—Pink No. 114 10
Lemon oil 60
Cedar-wood oil 60
Citronella oil 50
Wintergreen oil 15

Pale-Yellow Soap.—

Parts by
weight
III.—Orange No. 410 10
Citronella oil 60
Sassafras oil 60
Lavender oil 45
Wintergreen oil 15
Aniseed oil 25

Toilet Soap Powder.—

Marseilles soap, powdered 100 parts Bran of almonds 50 parts Lavender oil 5 parts Thyme oil 3 parts Spike oil 2 parts Citronella oil 2 parts

Soft Toilet Soaps.—Soft toilet soaps or creams may be prepared from fresh lard with a small addition of cocoanut oil and caustic potash solution, by the cold process or by boiling. For the cold process, 23 parts of fresh lard and 2 parts of Cochin cocoanut oil are warmed in a jacketed pan, and when the temperature reaches 113° F. are treated with 9 parts of caustic potash and 2 1/2 parts of caustic soda solution, both of 38° Bé. strength, the whole being stirred until saponification is complete. The soap is transferred to a large marble mortar and pounded along with the following scenting ingredients: 0.15 parts of oil of bitter almonds and 0.02 parts of oil of geranium rose, or 0.1 part of the latter, and 0.05 parts of lemon oil. The warm process is preferable, experience having shown that boiling is essential to the proper saponification of the fats. In this method, 80 parts of lard and 20 parts of Cochin cocoanut oil are melted together in a large pan, 100 parts of potash lye (20° Bé.) being then crutched in by degrees, and the mass raised to boiling point. The combined influence of the heat and crutching vaporizes part of the water in the lye, and the soap thickens. When the soap has combined, the fire is made up, and another 80 parts of the same potash lye are crutched in gradually. The soap gets thicker and thicker as the water is expelled and finally throws up “roses” on the surface, indicating that it is nearly finished. At this stage it must be crutched vigorously, to prevent scorching against the bottom of the pan and the resulting more or less dark coloration. The evaporation period may be shortened by using only 50 to 60 parts of lye at first, and fitting with lye of 25° to 30° strength. For working on the large scale iron pans heated by steam are used, a few makers employing silver-lined vessels, which have the advantage that they are not attacked by the alkali. Tinned copper pans are also useful. The process takes from 7 to 8 hours, and when the soap is finished it is transferred into stoneware vessels for storage. Clear vegetable oils (castor oil) may be used, but the soaps lack the requisite nacreous luster required.

«TRANSPARENT SOAPS.»

The mode of production is the same for all. The fats are melted together, sifted into a double boiler, and the lye is stirred in at 111° F. Cover up for an hour, steam being allowed to enter slowly. There is now a clear, grain-like soap in the kettle, into which the sugar solution and the alcohol are crutched, whereupon the kettle is covered up. If cuttings are to be used, they are now added. When same are melted, the kettle will contain a thin, clear soap, which is colored and scented as per directions, and subsequently filled into little iron molds and cooled.

«Rose-Glycerine Soap.»—

I.—Cochin cocoanut oil 70,000 parts
Compressed tallow 40,000 parts
Castor oil 30,000 parts
Caustic soda lye, 38° Bé 79,000 parts
Sugar 54,000 parts

Dissolved in

Water 60,000 parts Alcohol 40,000 parts Geranium oil (African) 250 parts Lemon oil 200 parts Palmarosa oil 1,200 parts Bergamot oil 80 parts

«Benzoin-Glycerine Soap.»—

II.—Cochin cocoanut oil 66,000 parts
Compressed tallow 31,000 parts {653}
Castor oil 35,000 parts
Caustic soda lye, 38° Bé 66,000 parts
Sugar 35,000 parts

Dissolved in

Water 40,000 parts Alcohol 35,000 parts Brown, No. 120 200 parts Powdered benzoin (Siam) 4,200 parts Styrax liquid 1,750 parts Tincture of benzoin 1,400 parts Peru balsam 700 parts Lemon oil 200 parts Clove oil 70 parts

«Sunflower-Glycerine Soap.»—

III.—Cochin cocoanut oil 70,000 parts
Compressed tallow 50,000 parts
Castor oil 23,000 parts
Caustic soda lye, 39° Bé 71,000 parts
Sugar 40,000 parts

Dissolved in

Water 30,000 parts Alcohol 40,000 parts Brown, No. 55 250 parts Geranium oil 720 parts Bergamot oil 300 parts Cedar-wood oil 120 parts Palmarosa oil 400 parts Vanillin 10 parts Tonka tincture 400 parts

«MISCELLANEOUS FORMULAS:»

«Szegedin Soap.»—Tallow, 120 parts; palm kernel oil, 80 parts. Saponify well with about 200 parts of lye of 24° Bé. and add, with constant stirring, the following fillings in rotation, viz., potash solution, 20° Bé., 150 parts, and cooling salt solution 20° Bé., 380 parts.

«Instrument Soap.»—A soap for cleaning surgical instruments, and other articles of polished steel, which have become specked with rust by exposure, is made by adding precipitated chalk to a strong solution of cyanide of potassium in water, until a cream-like paste is obtained. Add to this white castile soap in fine shavings, and rub the whole together in a mortar, until thoroughly incorporated. The article to be cleaned should be first immersed, if possible, in a solution of 1 part of cyanide of potash in 4 parts of water, and kept there until the surface dirt and rust disappears. It should then be polished with the soap, made as above directed.

«Stain-Removing Soaps.»—These are prepared in two ways, either by making a special soap, or by mixing ordinary soap with special detergents. A good recipe is as follows:

I.—Ceylon cocoanut or palm seed oil 320 pounds
Caustic soda lye, 38° Bé 160 pounds
Carbonate of potash, 20° Bé 56 pounds
Oil of turpentine 9 pounds
Finely powdered kieselguhr 280 pounds
Brilliant green 2 pounds

The oil having been fused, the dye is mixed with some of it and stirred into the contents of the pan. The kieselguhr is then crutched in from a sieve, then the lye, and then the carbonate of potash. These liquids are poured in in a thin stream. When the soap begins to thicken, add the turpentine, mold, and cover up the molds.

II.—Rosin grain soap 1,000 pounds
Talc (made to a paste with weak carbonate of potash) 100 pounds
Oil of turpentine 4 pounds
Benzine 3 pounds

Mix the talc and soap by heat, and when cool enough add the turpentine and benzine, and mold.

III.—Cocoanut oil 600 pounds
Tallow 400 pounds
Caustic soda lye 500 pounds
Fresh ox gall 200 pounds
Oil of turpentine 12 pounds
Ammonia (sp. gr., 0.91) 6 pounds
Benzine 5 pounds

Saponify by heat, cool, add the gall and the volatile liquids, and mold.

«Soap Substitutes.»—

I.—Linseed oil 28 pounds
Sulphur 8 pounds
Aluminum soap 28 pounds
Oil of turpentine 4 pounds

II.—Aluminum soap 15 pounds
Almadina 25 pounds
Caoutchouc 50 pounds
Sulphur 6 pounds
Oleum succini 4 pounds

«Shampoo Soap.»—

Linseed oil 20 parts Malaga olive oil 20 parts Caustic potash 9 1/2 parts Alcohol 1 part Water 30 parts

{654}

Warm the mixed oils on a large water bath, then the potash and water in another vessel, heating both to 158° F., and adding the latter hot solution to the hot oil while stirring briskly. Now add and thoroughly mix the alcohol. Stop stirring, keep the heat at 158° F. until the mass becomes clear and a small quantity dissolves in boiling water without globules of oil separating. Set aside for a few days before using to make the liquid soap.

The alcohol may be omitted if a transparent product is immaterial.

«Sapo Durus.»—

Olive oil 100 parts Soda lye, sp. gr., 1.33 50 parts Alcohol (90 per cent) 30 parts

Heat on a steam bath until saponification is complete. The soap thus formed is dissolved in 300 parts of hot distilled water, and salted out by adding a filtered solution of 25 parts of sodium chloride and 5 parts of crystallized sodium carbonate in 80 parts of water.

«Sapo Mollis.»—

Olive oil 100 parts Solid potassium hydroxide 21 parts Water 100 parts Alcohol (90 per cent) 20 parts

Boil by means of a steam bath until the oil is saponified, adding, if necessary, a little more spirit to assist the saponification.

«Sand Soap.»—Cocoa oil, 24 parts; soda lye, 38° Bé., 12 parts; sand, finely sifted, 28 parts; cassia oil, .0100 parts; sassafras oil, .0100 parts.

«Salicylic Soap.»—When salicylic acid is used in soap it decomposes, as a rule, and an alkali salicylate is formed which the skin does not absorb. A German chemist claims to have overcome this defect by thoroughly eliminating all water from potash or soda soap, then mixing it with vaseline, heating the mixture, and incorporating free salicylic acid with the resulting mass. The absence of moisture prevents any decomposition of the salicylic acid.

«Olein Soap Substitute.»—Fish oil or other animal oil is stirred up with sulphuric acid, and then treated with water. After another stirring, the whole is left to settle, and separate into layers, whereupon the acid and water are drawn off, and caustic soda solution is stirred in with the oil. The finishing stage consists in stirring in refined mineral oil, magnesium chloride, borium chloride, and pure seal or whale oil, in succession.

«Mottled Soap.»—Tallow, 30 parts; palm kernel oil, 270 parts; lye, 20°, 347 1/2 parts; potassium chloride solution, 20°, 37 1/2 parts. After everything has been boiled into a soap, crutch the following dye solution into it: Water, 5 1/2 parts; blue, red, or black, .0315 parts; water glass, 38°, 10 parts; and lye, 38°, 1 1/2 parts.

«Laundry Soap.»—A good, common hard soap may be made from clean tallow or lard and caustic soda, without any very special skill in manipulation. The caustic soda indicated is a crude article which may now be obtained from wholesale druggists in quantities to suit, at a very moderate price. A lye of average strength is made by dissolving it in water in the proportion of about 2 pounds to the gallon. For the saponification of lard, a given quantity of the grease is melted at a low heat, and 1/4 its weight of lye is then added in small portions with constant stirring; when incorporation has been thoroughly effected, another portion of lye equal to the first is added, as before, and the mixture kept at a gentle heat until saponification appears to be complete. If the soap does not readily separate from the liquid, more lye should be added, the soap being insoluble in strong lye. When separation has occurred, pour off the lye, add water to the mass, heat until dissolved, and again separate by the use of more strong lye or a strong solution of common salt. The latter part of the process is designed to purify the soap and may be omitted where only a cruder article is required. The soap is finally remelted on a water bath, kept at a gentle heat until as much water as possible is expelled, and then poured into frames or molds to set.

«Dog Soap.»—

Petroleum 5 parts by weight Wax 4 parts by weight Alcohol 5 parts by weight Good laundry soap. 15 parts by weight

Heat the petroleum, wax, and alcohol on a water bath until they are well mixed, and dissolve in the mixture the soap cut in fine shavings. This may be used on man or beast for driving away vermin.

«Liquid Tar Soap» (Sapo Picis liquidus).—

Wood tar 25 parts Hebra’s soap spirit 75 parts

«Ox-Gall Soap for Cleansing Silk Stuffs.»—To wash fine silk stuffs, such as {655} piece goods, ribbons, etc., employ a soap containing a certain amount of ox gall, a product that is not surpassed for the purpose. In making this soap the following directions will be found of advantage: Heat 1 pound of cocoanut oil to 100° F. in a copper kettle. While stirring vigorously add 1/2 pound of caustic soda lye of 30° Baumé. In a separate vessel heat 1/2 pound of white Venice turpentine, and stir this in the soap in the copper kettle. Cover the kettle well, and let it stand, mildly warmed for 4 hours, when the temperature can be again raised until the mass is quite hot and flows clear; then add the pound of ox gall to it. Now pulverize some good, perfectly dry grain soap, and stir in as much of it as will make the contents of the copper kettle so hard that it will yield slightly to the pressure of the fingers. From 1 to 2 pounds is all the grain soap required for the above quantity of gall soap. When cooled, cut out the soap and shape into bars. This is an indispensable adjunct to the dyer and cleaner, as it will not injure the most delicate color.

«SOAP-BUBBLE LIQUIDS.»

I.—White hard soap 25 parts
Glycerine 15 parts
Water 1,000 parts

II.—Dry castile soap 2 parts
Glycerine 30 parts
Water 40 parts

SOAP POLISHES: See Polishes.

SOAP, TOOTH: See Dentifrice.

SODA PAINT: See Paint.

SODA WATER: See Beverages.

SODIUM HYPOSULPHITE: See Photography.

SODIUM SILICATE AS A CEMENT: See Adhesives, under Water-Glass Cements.

SODIUM SALTS, EFFERVESCENT: See Salts.

«Solders»

«SOLDERING OF METALS AND THE PREPARATION OF SOLDERS.»

The object of soldering is to unite two portions of the same metal or of different metals by means of a more fusible metal or metallic alloy, applied when melted, and known by the name of solder. As the strength of the soldering depends on the nature of the solder used, the degree of strength required for the joint must be kept in view in choosing a solder. The parts to be joined must be free from oxide and thoroughly clean; this can be secured by filing, scouring, scraping, or pickling with acids. The edges must fit exactly, and be heated to the melting point of the solder. The latter must have a lower melting point than either of the portions of metal that require to be joined, and if possible only those metals should be chosen for solder which form alloys with them. The solder should also as far as possible have the same color and approximately the same strength as the article whose edges are to be united.

To remove the layers of oxide which form during the process of soldering, various so-called “fluxes” are employed. These fluxes are melted and applied to the joint, and act partly by keeping off the air, thus preventing oxidation, and partly by reducing and dissolving the oxides themselves. The choice of a flux depends on the quantity of heat required for soldering.

Solders are classed as soft and hard solders. Soft solders, also called tin solders or white solders, consist of soft, readily fusible metals or alloys, and do not possess much strength; they are easy to handle on account of their great fusibility. Tin, lead-tin, and alloys of tin, lead, and bismuth are used for soft solders, pure tin being employed only for articles made of the same metal (pure tin).

The addition of some lead makes the solder less fusible but cheaper, while that of bismuth lowers the melting point. Soft solders are used for soldering easily fusible metals such as Britannia metal, etc., also for soldering tin plate. To prepare solder, the metals are melted together in a graphite crucible at as low a temperature as possible, well stirred with an iron rod, and cast into ingots in an iron mold. To melt the solder when required for soldering, the soldering iron is used; the latter should be kept as free from oxidation as possible, and the part applied should be tinned over.

To make so-called “Sicker” solder, equal parts of lead and tin are melted together, well mixed, and allowed to stand till the mixture begins to set, the part still in a liquid condition being then poured off. This mixture can, however, {656} be more easily made by melting together 37 parts of lead and 63 parts of tin (exactly measured).

Soldering irons are usually made of copper, as copper is easily heated and easily gives up its heat to the solder. The point of the iron must be “tinned.” To do this properly, the iron should be heated hot enough easily to melt the solder; the point should then be quickly dressed with a smooth flat file to remove the oxide, and rubbed on a piece of tin through solder and sal ammoniac. The latter causes the solder to adhere in a thin, even coat to the point of the iron. A gas or gasoline blow torch or a charcoal furnace is best for heating the iron, but a good, clean coal fire, well coked, will answer the purpose.

When in use, the iron should be hot enough to melt the solder readily. A cold iron produces rough work. This is where the beginner usually fails. If possible, it is well to warm the pieces before applying the iron. The iron must not be heated too hot, however, or the tin on the point will be oxidized. The surfaces to be soldered must be clean. Polish them with sandpaper, emery cloth, a file, or a scraper. Grease or oil will prevent solder from sticking.

Some good soldering fluid should be used. A very good fluid is made by dissolving granulated zinc in muriatic acid. Dissolve as much zinc as possible in the acid. The gas given off will explode if ignited. To granulate the zinc, melt it in a ladle, and pour it slowly into a barrel of water. A brush or swab should be used to spread the fluid on the surfaces to be soldered. If the point of the soldering iron becomes dirty, it should be wiped on a cloth or piece of waste that has been dampened with the soldering fluid.

«Soldering of Metallic Articles.»—In a recently invented process the parts to be united are covered, on the surfaces not to be soldered, with a protective mass, which prevents an immediate contact of the solder with the surfaces in question, and must be brushed off only after the soldered pieces have cooled perfectly, whereby the possibility of a change of position of these pieces seems precluded.

For the execution of this process the objects to be soldered, after the surfaces to be united have been provided with a water-glass solution as the soldering agent and placed together as closely as possible or united by wires or rivets, are coated in the places where no solder is desired with a protective mass, consisting essentially of carbon (graphite, coke, or charcoal), powdered talc or asbestos, ferric hydrate (with or without ferrous hydrate), and, if desired, a little aluminum oxide, together with a binding agent of the customary kind (glue solution, beer).

Following are some examples of the composition of these preparations:

I.—Graphite, 50 parts; powdered coke, 5 parts; powdered charcoal, 5 parts; powdered talc, 10 parts; glue solution, 2.5 parts; drop beer, 2.5 parts; ferric hydrate, 10 parts; aluminum oxide, 5 parts.

II.—Graphite, burnt, 4 parts; graphite, unburnt, 6 parts; powdered charcoal, 3 parts; powdered asbestos, 1 part; ferric hydrate, 3 parts; ferrous hydrate, 2 parts; glue solution, 1 part.

The article thus prepared is plunged, after the drying of the protective layer applied, in the metal bath serving as solder (molten brass, copper, etc.), and left to remain therein until the part to be soldered has become red hot, which generally requires about 50 to 60 seconds, according to the size of the object. In order to avoid, in introducing the article into the metal bath, the scattering of the molten metal, it is well previously to warm the article and to dip it warm. After withdrawal from the metal bath the soldered articles are allowed to cool, and are cleaned with wire brushes, so as to cause the bright surfaces to reappear.

The process is especially useful for uniting iron or steel parts, such as machinery, arms, and bicycle parts in a durable manner.

«Soldering Acid.»—A very satisfactory soldering acid may be made by the use of the ordinary soldering acid for the base and introducing a certain proportion of chloride of tin and sal ammoniac. This gives an acid which is superior in every way to the old form. To make 1 gallon of this soldering fluid take 3 quarts of common muriatic acid and allow it to dissolve as much zinc as it will take up. This method, of course, is the usual one followed in the manufacture of ordinary soldering acid. The acid, as is well known, must be placed in an earthenware or glass vessel. The zinc may be sheet clippings or common plate spelter broken into small pieces. Place the acid in the vessel and add the zinc in small portions so as to prevent the whole from boiling over. When all the zinc has been added and the action has stopped, it indicates that enough has been taken up. Care must be taken to see that there is a little zinc left in the bottom, as {657} otherwise the acid will be in excess. The idea is to have the acid take up as much zinc as it can.

After this has been done there will remain some residue in the form of a black precipitate. This is the lead which all zinc contains, and which is not dissolved by the muriatic acid. This lead may be removed by filtering through a funnel in the bottom of which there is a little absorbent cotton, or the solution may be allowed to remain overnight until the lead has settled and the clear solution can then be poured off. This lead precipitate is not particularly injurious to the soldering fluid, but it is better to get rid of it so that a good, clear solution may be obtained. Next, dissolve 6 ounces of sal ammoniac in a pint of warm water. In another pint dissolve 4 ounces of chloride of tin. The chloride of tin solution will usually be cloudy, but this will not matter. Now mix the 3 solutions together. The solution will be slightly cloudy when the 3 have been mixed, and the addition of a few drops of muriatic acid will render it perfectly clear. Do not add any more acid than is necessary to do this, as the solution would then contain too much of this ingredient and the results would be injurious.

This soldering acid will not spatter when the iron is applied to it. It has also been found that a poorer grade of solder may be used with it than with the usual soldering acid.

«ALUMINUM SOLDERS.»

To solder aluminum it is necessary previously to tin the parts to be soldered. This tinning is done with the iron, using a composition of aluminum and tin. Replace the ordinary soldering iron by an iron of pure aluminum. Preparation of aluminum solder: Commence by fusing the copper; then add the aluminum in several installments, stir the mixture well with a piece of iron; next add the zinc and a little tallow or benzine at the same time. Once the zinc is added do not heat too strongly, to avoid the volatilization of the zinc.

I.—Take 5 parts of tin and 1 part of aluminum. Solder with the iron or with the blowpipe, according to the article in question.

II.—The pieces to be soldered are to be tinned, but instead of using pure tin, alloys of tin with other metals are employed, preferably those of tin and aluminum. For articles to be worked after soldering, 45 parts of tin and 10 parts of aluminum afford a good alloy, malleable enough to be hammered, cut, or turned. If they are not to be worked, the alloy requires less aluminum and may be applied in the usual manner as in soldering iron.

«Aluminum Bronze.»—I.—Strong solder: Gold, 89 parts; fine silver, 5 parts; copper, 6 parts.

II.—Medium solder: Gold, 54 parts; fine silver, 27 parts; copper, 19 parts.

III.—Weak solder: Gold, 14 parts; silver, 57 parts; copper, 15 parts; brass, 14 parts.

«BRASS SOLDERS.»

Brass solder consists of brass fusible at a low temperature, and is made by melting together copper and zinc, the latter being in excess. A small quantity of tin is often added to render the solder more fusible. Hard solders are usually sold in the form of granules. Although many workers in metals make their own solder, it is advisable to use hard solder made in factories, as complete uniformity of quality is more easily secured where large quantities are manufactured.

In making hard solder the melted metal is poured through birch twigs in order to granulate it. The granules are afterwards sorted by passing them through sieves.

When brass articles are soft-soldered, the white color of the solder contrasts unpleasantly with the brass. If this is objected to, the soldered part can be colored yellow in the following manner:

Dissolve 10 parts of copper sulphate in 35 parts of water; apply the solution to the solder, and stir with a clean iron wire. This gives the part the appearance of copper. To produce the yellow color, paint the part with a mixture consisting of 1 part of a solution of equal parts of zinc and water (1 part each) and 2 parts of a solution of 10 to 35 parts respectively of copper sulphate and water and rub on with a zinc rod. The resulting yellow color can, if desired, be improved by careful polishing.

The quality of soft solder is always judged in the trade from the appearance of the surface of the castings, and it is considered important that this surface should be radiant and crystalline, showing the so-called “flowers.” These should be more brilliant than the dull background, the latter being like mat silver in appearance. If the casting has a uniform whitish-gray color, this is an indication that the alloy contains an insufficient quantity of tin. In this case {658} the alloy should be remelted and tin added, solder too poor in tin being extremely viscid.

Most of the varieties of brass used in the arts are composed of from 68 to 70 per cent copper and from 32 to 30 per cent zinc. Furthermore, there are some kinds of brass which contain from 24 to 40 per cent zinc. The greater the quantity of zinc the greater will be the resemblance of the alloy to copper. Consequently, the more crystalline will the structure become. For hard soldering only alloys can be employed which, as a general rule, contain no more than 34 per cent of zinc. With an increase in copper there follows a rise in the melting point of the brass. An alloy containing 90 per cent of copper will melt at 1,940° F.; 80 per cent copper, at 1,868° F.; 70 per cent copper, at 1,796° F.; 60 per cent copper, at 1,742° F. Because an increase in zinc causes a change in color, it is sometimes advisable to use tin for zinc, at least in part, so that the alloy becomes more bronze-like in its properties. The durability of the solder is not seriously affected, but its fusibility is lowered. If more than a certain proportion of tin be added, thin and very fluid solders are obtained of grayish-white color, and very brittle—indeed, so brittle that the soldering joints are apt to open if the object is bent. Because too great an addition of tin is injurious, the utmost caution must be exercised. If very refractory metals are to be soldered, brass alone can be used. In some cases, a solder can be produced merely by melting brass and adding copper. The following hard solders have been practically tested and found of value.

«YELLOW HARD SOLDERS:»

Applebaum’s Compositions.—

I.—Copper 58 parts
Zinc 42 parts

II.—Sheet brass 85.42 parts
Zinc 13.58 parts

Karmarsch’s Composition.—

III.—Brass 7 parts
Zinc 1 part

IV.—Zinc 49 parts
Copper 44 parts
Tin 4 parts
Lead 2 parts

Prechtl’s Composition.—

V.—Copper 53.3 parts
Zinc 43.1 parts
Tin 1.3 parts
Lead 0.3 parts

All these hard-solder compositions have the fine yellow color of brass, are very hard, and can be fused only at high temperatures. They are well adapted for all kinds of iron, steel, copper, and bronze.

Solders which fuse at somewhat lower temperatures and, therefore, well adapted for the working of brass, are the following:

VI.—Sheet brass 81.12 parts
Zinc 18.88 parts

VII.—Copper 54.08 parts
Zinc 45.29 parts

VIII.—Brass 3 to 4 parts
Zinc 1 part

A solder which is valuable because it can be wrought with the hammer, rolled out, or drawn into wire, and because it is tough and ductile, is the following:

IX.—Brass 78.26 parts
Zinc 17.41 parts
Silver 4.33 parts

Fusible White Solder.—

X.—Copper 57.4 parts
Zinc 28 parts
Tin 14.6 parts

Easily Fusible Solders.—

XI.—Brass 5 parts
Zinc 2.5 parts

XII.—Brass 5 parts
Zinc 5 parts

Semi-White Hard Solders.—

XIII.—Copper 53.3 parts
Zinc 46.7 parts

XIV.—Brass 12 parts
Zinc 4 to 7 parts
Tin 1 part

XV.—Brass 22 parts
Zinc 10 parts
Tin 1 part

XVI.—Copper 44 parts
Zinc 49 parts
Tin 3.20 parts
Lead 1.20 parts

Formulas XIII and XVI are fairly fusible.

White Hard Solders.—

XVII.—Brass 20 parts
Zinc 1 part
Tin 4 parts

XVIII.—Copper 58 parts
Zinc 17 parts
Tin 15 parts

XIX.—Brass 11 parts
Zinc 1 part
Tin 2 parts {659}

XX.—Brass 6 parts
Zinc 4 parts
Tin 10 parts

XXI.—Copper 57.44 parts
Zinc 27.98 parts
Tin 14.58 parts

For Brass Tubes.—I.—Copper, 100 parts; lead, 25 parts.

II.—A very strong solder for soldering brass tubes to be drawn, etc., is composed of 18 parts brass, 4 parts zinc, and 1 part fine silver.

For Fastening Brass to Tin.—To 20 parts of fine, reduced copper, add sufficient sulphuric acid to make a stiff paste. To this add 70 parts of metallic mercury, and work in, at the same time applying heat until the mass assumes a wax-like consistency. Warm or heat the plates to be united, to about the same temperature, apply the mixture, hot, to each, then press together, and let cool.

«COPPER SOLDERS.»

The copper solders which are used for soldering copper as well as bronze are mixtures of copper and lead. By increasing the quantity of lead the fusibility is increased, but the mixture departs from the color and toughness of copper. The most commonly employed copper solder is the following:

I.—Copper 5 parts
Lead 1 part

II.—Copper 80 parts
Lead 15 parts
Tin 5 parts

For Red Copper.—I.—Copper, 3 parts; zinc, 1 part.

II.—Copper, 7 parts; zinc, 3 parts; tin, 2 parts.

«FATS FOR SOLDERING.»

I.—Soldering fat or grease is commonly a mixture of rosin and tallow with the addition of a small quantity of sal ammoniac. It is particularly adapted to the soldering of tinned ware, because it is easily wiped off the surface after the joint is made, whereas if rosin were used alone, the scraping away might remove some of the tin and spoil the object.

II.—The following is a well-tried recipe for a soldering grease: In a pot of sufficient size and over a slow fire melt together 500 parts of olive oil and 400 parts of tallow; then stir in slowly 250 parts of rosin in powder, and let the whole boil up once. Now let it cool down, and add 125 parts of saturated solution of sal ammoniac, stirring the while. When cold, this preparation will be ready for use.

«FLUIDS FOR SOLDERING.»

I.—To the ordinary zinc chloride, prepared by digesting chips of zinc in strong hydrochloric acid to saturation, add 1/3 spirits of sal ammoniac and 1/3 part rain water, and filter the mixture. This soldering liquid is especially adapted to the soft soldering of iron and steel, because it does not make rust spots.

To solder zinc, the zinc chloride may be used without any spirit sal ammoniac.

II.—Mix phosphoric acid with strong spirits of wine in the following proportions:

Phosphoric acid solution 1 quart Spirits of wine (80 per cent) 1 1/2 quarts

More or less of the spirits of wine is used depending upon the concentration of the phosphoric acid solution. When this soldering liquid is applied to the metal to be soldered, the phosphoric acid immediately dissolves the oxide. The hot soldering iron vaporizes the spirits of wine very quickly and causes the oxide released by the phosphoric acid to form a glazed mass with the surplus phosphoric acid, which mass can be easily removed.

III.—Dissolve in hydrochloric acid: Zinc, 50 parts (by weight); sal ammoniac, 50 parts.

IV.—Hydrochloric acid, 600 parts (by weight); sal ammoniac, 100 parts. Put zinc chips into the acid to saturation, next add the sal ammoniac. Filter when dissolved and preserve in flasks.

V.—Eight hundred parts of water with 100 parts of lactic acid and 100 parts of glycerine. This dispenses with the use of chloride of zinc.

«Acid-Free Soldering Fluid.»—I.—Five parts of zinc chloride dissolved in 25 parts of boiling water. Or, 20 parts of zinc chloride, 10 parts of ammonia chloride, dissolved in 100 parts of boiling water and put into glass carboys.

II.—Chloride zinc 1 drachm
Alcohol 1 ounce

«Substitute for Soldering Fluid.»—As a substitute for the customary soldering fluid and soldering mediums an ammonia soap is recommended, which is obtained by the mixture of a finely powdered rosin with strong ammonia solution. Of this soap only the finely divided {660} rosin remains on the soldered place after the soldering. This soldering process is well adapted for soldering together copper wires for electrical conduits, since the rosin at the same time serves as an insulator.

«FLUXES FOR SOLDERING.»

The fluxes generally used in the soft-soldering of metals are powdered rosin or a solution of chloride of zinc, alone or combined with sal ammoniac. A neutral soldering liquid can be prepared by mixing 27 parts neutral zinc chloride, 11 parts sal ammoniac, and 62 parts water; or, 1 part sugar of milk, 1 part glycerine, and 8 parts water.

A soldering fat for tin-plate, preferable to ordinary rosin, as it can be more easily removed after soldering, is prepared as follows: One hundred and fifty parts beef tallow, 250 parts rosin, and 150 parts olive oil are melted together in a crucible and well stirred, 50 parts powdered sal ammoniac dissolved in as little water as possible being added.

Soldering fat for iron is composed of 50 parts olive oil and 50 parts powdered sal ammoniac. Soldering fat for aluminum is made by melting together equal parts of rosin and tallow, half the quantity of zinc chloride being added to the mixture.

Soldering paste consists of neutral soldering liquid thickened with starch paste. This paste must be applied more lightly than the soldering liquid.

Soldering salt is prepared by mixing equal parts of neutral zinc chloride, free from iron, and powdered sal ammoniac. When required for use, 1 part of the salt should be dissolved in 3 or 4 parts water.

Borax is the flux most frequently used for hard-soldering; it should be applied to the soldering seam either dry or stirred to a paste with water. It is advisable to use calcined borax, i. e., borax from which the water of crystallization has been driven out by heat, as it does not become so inflated as ordinary borax. Borax dissolves the metallic oxides forming on the joint.

Finely powdered cryolite, or a mixture of 2 parts powdered cryolite and 1 part phosphoric acid, is also used for hard-soldering copper and copper alloys.

Muller’s hard-soldering liquid consists of equal parts of phosphoric acid and alcohol (80 per cent).