US1785054A - Process of producing soap powder from soap stock high in fatty acid - Google Patents

Description

Dec. 16, 1930. c. K. STODDER 1,785,054 I PROCESS OF'PRODUCING SOAP POWDER FROM SOAP STOCK HIGH IN FATTY ACID Filed Aug. 28, 1928 Fig.1.

Fig.2] a

- lnve'nTbr. ClemenT K. STOdd ;r byMMkW Patented Dec. 16, y 1930 v UNITED STATES,

PATENT: OFFICE -'CLEMENT x. s'rommn, or BROOKLINE, mssncnusn'rrs 'rnodnss or PRODUCING soar rownnn snort soar s'rocx HIGH 1H rar'rx Acni Application filed August 28,

This invention relates to a cold process of producing soap powder from crude soap stock high in fatty acids, such, for example,

as cotton-seed soap stock. 5 Such soap powder is used largely as a base for cleaning compositions.

Crude soap stock which contains a high percentage of fatty acids is a plastic or semiplastic substance which cannot be comminuted or ground to produce a soap powder. In usual processes of 'making'soap powder from soap stock containing a high percentage of fatty acids, such as cotton-seed soap stock, the soap stock is first boiled in a kettle with live steam, water, a caustic and salt, thereby producing a liquid mixture or composition which is then run into a mixing tank or crutcher into which 'suflicient soda ash is introduced while the mixture or composition is in a hot liquid'state, to produce a thick and pasty hot sfoap. .This hot soap is then placed in barrels or othenreceptacles and upon cooling produces a hard soap. This hard soap is thereafter'broken up and ground to produce a soap powder.

Ordinarily in the manufacture of commercial cleaning compositions, other ingredients, including certain chemicals and sometimes abrasives, are mixed with this hard soap, 80 after it is broken up, and ground with the soap to the desired fineness of the cleaning composition. 7

The present invention relates to the production by a. cold .process, from a crude soap stock containing a high percentage of fatty acids, such as cotton-seed soap stock, of a soap powder which may be used directly as a soap or which may be. mixed with other ingredients, .as aforesaid, to produce a'cleanin composition. 7

n accordance with the presentlinvention' the semi-plastic crude soap stock, such as cotton-seed soap stock, is divided into pieces of substantially uniform cross-sectional area presenting large surface areas relatively to the mass thereof and said pieces subjected to the action of an alkali in powdered form having an aflinity for the'moisture 'of the soap stock, then permitting the alkali to absorb a substantial proportion of the moisture of the 1928. Serial ms. 302,632.

soap stock by aging, so that the soap stock will be, reduced to a brittle condition, and thereafter reducing the mixture to a desired degree of fineness. In the practical use of the method the crude soap stock is first broken up into relatively small pieces and such pieces desirably are so treated as to produce strips of substantially uniform cross-sectional area and preferably of cylindrical form.

This can be readily accomplishedby subjecting the pieces of cotton-seed soap stock to extrusion through a suitable grid having apertures of the desired size. The strips of cotton-seed soap stock thus obtruded are then mixed directly with soda ash in powdered form,'preferably in the approximate proportionsof one pound of soda ash to two pounds of cotton-seed soap stock. During the extrusion process the soap stock forms in relatively short strips or ribbons, and the powdered soda ash adheres to and in effect coats the pieces of'soap stock while the excess of soda .ash surrounds and more or less embeds the Y can be readily ground. Under certain conditions the moisture contained in the mixture after the drying-out process imparts to the mixture a proper consistency to permit of its being directly ground to form a soap powder. Under other conditions, however, too much moisture is eliminated from the soap stock during the drying-out or aging process, so that additional moisture is required to produce the desired result."

Additional moisture may be supplied by adding to the mixture, if too dry, a granular moisture containing alkali, such as sal soda, insufficient quantities to restore the moisture content to the mixture, which may then be reduced or ground to the desired degree of fineness. 1

If desired to produce a cleaning composition, other ingredients, chemicals, and, if de- 100 I sired, abrasive material may be added during equally applicable to other forms of crude soap stock, such as tallow soap stock, grease machine 6. The extrudi soap stock or vegetable oil soap stocks which comprise a high percentage of fatty acids.

A preferred form of apparatus for performing the cold rocess method of producing soap powder rom crude soap stock high in fatty acids is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a more or less diagrammatic view of associated apparatus for producing the mixture before grinding or reducing; and

Figure 2 is an illustration of suitable apparatus for reducing and grading the soap powder.

The crude soap stock after having been broken up into irregular pieces is placed in the hopper 1 of a feeder 2 and is carried by an endless belt .3, which extends beneath the hopper -1 and is driven by a pawl and ratchet mechanism 4 to the hopper 5 of an extruding machine 6 desirably is provided with a fee g screw 7 which forces the soap stock through a grid 8 at the lower end of the extruding machine. The soar? stock thusforced through the grid is 1n theform of ribbons or cylindrical strips, and as it is extruded from pieces of more or less irregularity breaks up into relatively short pieces. The extruded pieces are delivered to a hopper 9 leading to a mixing machrne 10.

Soda ash is placed in a hopper 11 whlch, at its lower end, communicates with the feeding device which, asillustrated, comprlses a screw 12 which delivers the material at any desired rate'," according to the rate at which the screw is driven, to a chute 13 which leads to the hopper 9, so that soda ash passes into the mixing machine with the extruded pieces of soap stock. Any suitable type of mixing machine may be employed. As illustrated, the mixing machine comprises a cylinder 14: having a shaft 15 extending longitudinally thereof, which is provided with a series of blades 16 adapted to mix the soap stock and soda ash and to carr it forward from the feeding end to the de ivery end of the cylinder, from which it is delivered through a spout 17 to a barrel 18 or other rece tacle.

The mixture thus accumulated 1n the barrel is permitted to age for a sufiicient length of time to enable the soda ash to reduce the amount of moisture in the soap stock sufiiciently to cause the soap stock to become, britthe drum, and the pulverized material is delivered through the apertures-in the concave to the lower portion of the drum, from which it escapes or is forcibly delivered through an outlet 25 and may be packaged in any suitable manner.

If during the aging process too much moisturehas been eliminated from the mix ture, additional moisture may be supplied by introducing into the hopper 20, manually or otherwise, a sufficient amount of sal soda to restore the mixture to the proper moisture content, or the sal soda may be introduced directly into the mixture before it is placed in the hopper of the reducing machine.

In the construction illustrated in the drawings, which is adapted to produce material of particularly uniform fineness, the soap powder is delivered from the outlet 25 of the reducing machine directly upon a reciprocating screen or bolt 26 of a desired mesh, through which soap powder of the desired fineness passes into a suitable receptacle 27. The soap powder which does not. pass through the screen is collected in a suitable receptacle (not shown) and may be returned to the hopper 20 of the grinding machine, to be reground.

Where it is desired to produce a commercial cleansing powder, additional ingredients, including chemicals, such as chemical salts and, if desired, abrasives, may be introduced'into the hopper 20 of the reducing machine along with the mixture above described, and in passing through the mixture machine will be reduced and intimately mixed with the soap powder, so that the resulting product will be a powdered chemical composition of the desired character and fineness.

It will be readily understood that various types of apparatus may be employed to perform the process above described, and that the particular apparatus generally described herein is of an illustrative and not restrictive character. 7

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent, is:

1. A cold process of producing soap powder from a semi-plastic, moisture-containing soap stock which comprises dividing the plastic soap stock into pieces of large surness. k

face areas relatively to the mass of said pleces, embedding said pieces in a dehydrated powdered alkali having an aifinity for the moisture in said moist soap stock, and aging the mixture to permit the alkali to absorb a substantial proportion of the moisture and thereby .render the soap stock brittle and then reducing the mixture to a desired finethen reducing the mixture to a desired fineness.

3. A cold process of producing soap powder from a semi-plastic, moisture-containing soap stock whlch comprises dividing theplastic soap stock into pieces of large surface areas relatively to the mass of said pieces, embedding said pieces in a dehydrated powdered alkali having an afiinity for the moisture in said moist soap stock, and aging the mixture to permit the alkali to absorb a substantial proportion of the moisture and thereby render the soap stock brittle, adding to the mixture, if too dry, a granular moisture-containing alkali in suflicient quantities to restore the'proper moisture content to the mixture and then reducing the mixture-to a desired fineness. p

4. A cold process of. producing soap powder from a semi-plastic cotton-seed soap stock'which comprises dividing the plastic soap stock into small pieces presenting large 4 surface areasrelative to the mass of said pieces,- embedding sa1d pieces 1n soda ash of granular form, aging said mixture to permit crosssectional area, embeddingthe extruded strips insoda ash of granular form in approximately the proportion of one pound of soda ash to two pounds of said cotton-seed soap-stock, aging-the mixture to permit the soda a'shto absorb a substantial proportion of the moisture and thereby render the soap stock brittle, and then reducing the mixture to a desired fineness.

7 A cold process-of producing soa powder from a semi-plastic cotton-see soap stock which comprises forming the plastic soap stock into strips by extrusion, subjecting the extruded strips to-the action of soda ash in the approximate proportion of one pound of soda ash to two pounds of cotton-. seed soap stock, aging the mixture until the.

and brittle, adding. sal soda to the mixture, if toodry, in sufiisoap stock becomes dry cient quantities to restore the proper moisture content to said mixture, and reducing the mixture to a desired fineness. j

' In testimony'whereof, I have signed my name to this specification.

- CLEMENT K. STODDER.v

the alkali to absorb a substantial proportion I of the moisture and thereby render the soap stock brittle, and then reducing the mixture to a desired fineness. p

5- A cold process of producing soap powder from a semi-plastic cotton-seen soap stock which comprlses forming the plastic soap stock .into pieces of substantially uniform cross-sectional area, mixing with said pieces soda ash in granular form, aging said mixture until said pieces of soap stock become dry and brittle, adding sal soda to said mixture, if too dry, in suflicient quantities to restore the proper moisture content thereto,

and finally reducing the mixture to a desired fineness. I

6. A cold process of producing soap powder from a semi-plastic cotton-seed 'soap stock which comprises forming by extrusion the plastic soap stock into strips of small

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