Question for Launderess about Fels-Naptha Soap

[cleanfresh]

To sudsmaster. The website just shares a little about the Fels brothers discovery of a process of adding benzene(naptha)to soap. It DOES NOT, however, give the "how-tos" or actual details of the process itself. I believe this process was patented. Launderess might have info regarding the patent. Still searching for the link. By any chance, are you thinking about trying to make your own naphtha soap? Because if you are, I hope you know that this can be very dangerous. Naphtha is a very volatile and extremely flammable chemical. Like gasoline, it is a member of the benzene family. It's explosive power is just below that of gasoline!! Remember, Fels-Naptha soap was manufactured using a special patented process in a factory controlled environment. Now that you know the link doesn't give the actual formula of adding naphtha to soap, do you still want it?

 

[sudsmaster]

My interest in the manufcture of napthalated soap is primarily academic. I have a bachelor's degree in Biochemistry, which necessarily involved several years of chemistry classes, including inorganic, organic, physical, quantitative, in addition to biochemistry. So I am aware of the dangers of working with flammables and the precautions that must be taken.

My interest was piqued when Launderess stated that Fels had made a major breakthrough in figuring out how to bind naptha to soap.

It couldn't possibly hurt to visit the link you have in mind. Thanks in advance.

 

[cleanfresh]

sudsmaster, here's the info you requested

To go to the website that tells about the Fels brothers and their discovery of the process of adding naphtha to soap, go to the Google search engine. Type in these words in this exact sequence--fels, process, benzene. Search and then click on Fels Institute of Government at the top of the page. Of particular interest are paragraphs 2 and 4. Click on the link below to go to the Library of Congress archives. Here you will find info regarding a paper that the Fels brothers wrote about naphtha and soap. In the box that says "find", type in Fels. Then select Manuscript Reading Room Pages. Scroll down to Arthur D. Little Papers at the bottom of the page. Click and then scroll all the way down to Box 290- Vol. 100 Fels and Co. influence of naphtha on lathering properties of soap 1925. With your educational background, you may be interested in researching this.

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