Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila

College of Engineering and Technology

Department of Chemical Engineering

Title: Production of a Whitening Detergent using Laundry Blue as the Main Ingredient for
Counteraction of Fabric Yellowing
I.

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Introduction
The exact makeup of detergent varies from brand to brand, but the basic
molecular structure remains the same. Soap molecules need to be amphiphilic,
meaning they have both a "dirt-loving" and a "water-loving" end. The dirt-loving
end, which also repels water, is typically made of lipidsthe building blocks of
fats. This is why detergents and soaps feel greasy. This end anchors itself onto
stains.
Laundry detergent, or washing powder, is a type of detergent (cleaning
agent) that is added for cleaning laundry. In common usage, "detergent" refers to
mixtures of chemical compounds including alkylbenzene sulfonates, which are
similar to soap but are less affected by hard water. In most household contexts, the
term detergent refers to laundry detergent vs hand soap or other types of cleaning
agents. While detergent is still sold in powdered form, liquid detergents have been
taking major market shares in many countries since their introduction in the
1960s.
White fabrics acquire a slight color cast after use (usually grey or yellow).
Since blue and yellow are complementary colors in the subtractive color model of
color perception, adding a trace of blue color to the slightly off-white color of
these fabrics makes them appear whiter. Laundry detergents may also use
fluorescing agents to similar effect. Many white fabrics are blued during
manufacturing. Bluing is not permanent and rinses out over time leaving dingy or
yellowed whites. A commercial bluing product allows the consumer to add the
bluing back into the fabric to restore whiteness.
When your washing machine spins and rinses, the water-loving end wants
to go with the flow, yanking bits of the stain along with it. Using soap effectively
requires water and mechanical action. Think of soap as a shovel and your arms as
water. If you don't move your arms the shovel serves no purpose.
Soap in general has hydrophobic and hydrophilic ends. One end is
attracted to dirt while the other flows with the water.
When soap clings to your clothes, the easiest way to get it out is by
running water through it. However, washing machines are designed on the
assumption that you're going to use the recommended amount of detergent. If you
don't have enough water or spin, your clothes are going to come out visibly caked
in soap or feeling greasy.

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Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila

College of Engineering and Technology
Department of Chemical Engineering

This happens a lot with the Delicates cycle. People use the same amount
detergent as the Normal cycle, but the Delicates cycle doesn't spin as much so the
soap molecules aren't pried away, leaving clothes feeling greasy.
Have you ever wondered why every brand of laundry detergent is blue?
It's because they contain blue dye. The dye is used to counteract yellowing.
Unsurprisingly, if you use too much dye it'll turn your clothes blue. This became
super evident when Tide first introduced their laundry pods. When consumers
used too many of the pods, it tinted their laundry.
II.

Statement of the Problem

Not so long ago, laundries are done manually by hands. Not much
problems are encountered due to the consistent scrubbing to the fabrics. But in the
modern day, the invention of washing machine led to some hassles that the
consumers have encountered. One of the problems is the ineffective removal of
yellow stains on white fabrics. These yellow stains are caused by the chemical
reaction between the deodorant and the sweat. The deodorant or antiperspirant
have aluminum components which reacts with the urea in the sweat causing the
yellow discoloration on light colored clothing especially white fabrics.
Laundry Blue is a household product used to improve the appearance of
textiles, especially white fabrics. White fabrics acquire a slight color cast after use
(usually grey or yellow). Since blue and yellow are complementary colors in the
subtractive color model of color perception, adding a trace of blue color to the
slightly off-white color of these fabrics makes them appear whiter. Many white
fabrics are blued during manufacturing. Bluing is not permanent and rinses out
over time leaving dingy or yellowed whites. Laundry blue allows the consumer to
add the bluing back into the fabric to restore whiteness. It acts as an Optical
brightener or Fluorescent whitening agent. This chemical compound absorbs light
in the ultraviolet and violet region of the electromagnetic spectrum, and re emit
light in blue region. This additive often causes a whitening effect by increasing
the overall amount of blue light reflected, thus making white fabrics look less
yellow.
A detergent with the properties of Laundry Blue is proposed in order to
deal with the problems encountered specifically the yellow stains on white
fabrics. As described, the laundry blue can help remove the yellow stains by
increasing the amount of blue light reflected.

III.

Objectives

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Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila

College of Engineering and Technology
Department of Chemical Engineering

A. General
The objective of this study is to produce a whitening detergent using laundry
blue as the main ingredient for counteraction of fabric yellowing
B. Specific
a) To produce a whitening detergent that conforms the commercially
available ones
b) To determine if the product meets the standards for commercial
whitening detergents through its texture
c) To find out if the resulting soap obey the rules for marketable
whitening detergents through bubble formation
d) To test if the item for consumption is conventional for viable
whitening detergents through clothes-washing and stain-removal
IV.

Significance of the Study

This study entitled Production of a Whitening Detergent using Laundry Blue as
the Main Ingredient for Counteraction of Fabric Yellowing" is of great
significance of the following:
To the Students and Researchers
The study serves as an added reference for students or researchers who are
interested in developing a whitening detergent or are taking into account
enhancing the recommended way of producing a whitening detergent with
counteraction of fabric yellowing.
To the Public
This research benefits the public for they can now spend less effort in washing
clothes in order for it to look like how it was when newly bought.

V.

Review of Related Literature

A. History of Detergent
The need for efficient washing of skin and clothes pushed inventors and
scientists to satisfy this need since modern detergent was created after the rise
of technology and chemistry in the 20th century. Without soap they only use
water to rinse off given that the earliest people lived near water.
The first archeological existence of soap was discovered in ancient
Babylon, dating 4800 years but the founded inscriptions were intended for
boiling animal fat and ash and directly referred to as soap. Records of Ancient
Egypt showed many proofs of the usage of soap, Ebers Papyrus, a medical
document from 1500 B.C., illustrates combining animal and vegetable oils

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Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila

College of Engineering and Technology
Department of Chemical Engineering

with salts to form a soap-like substance that can be used to treat skin diseases
and be used to wash clothes.
The Roman Empire was also engaged with soap making. During the
height Roman era, there was legend that fats from sacrificed animals at Mount
Sapo falls down and was collected into pools of soap. However, when the
Roman Empire falls, the tradition of washing disappeared because of
countless wars. During 17th century, when Europe is starting all over again,
brought the need to produce cleaning products again.
One of the first industrially made synthetic detergent happened during
World War I, when Germanys economy was strained and left without access
to soap. Synthetic detergents are non-soap cleaning and washing product that
are chemically put together from a selection of raw materials. The discovery
of detergents was driven by the need to produce a product that will not
combine with mineral salts to form an insoluble substance like a regular soap.
The break-through in the development of detergent is in 1946, the first
built detergent was introduced in America. It contains a surfactant and builder
combination, which is now the basic cleaning ingredient, while the builder
helps the surfactant to work more effectively. Phosphate compounds used as
builders vastly improved, making them more suitable for cleaning heavilysoiled laundry.
By 1953, all soap products that are used for clothes washing was replaced
with detergents that are more suitable for laundry. Detergents are also found in
bar and liquid forms. Since those achievements in the detergent industry, new
product activity has continued to focus on developing a better version of
detergent.

B. Raw Materials
a) Laundry Blue

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Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila

College of Engineering and Technology
Department of Chemical Engineering

Laundry blue is a household product used to improve the

appearance of the textiles, especially white fabrics. It adds a trace
of blue dye to the fabric.
Since blue and yellow are complementary colors, adding a
trace of blue color to the slightly off white color of the fabrics
makes them appear whiter. Laundry detergents may also use
fluorescing agents to similar effect. White fabrics are also blued
during manufacturing. Bluing is not permanent and can be washed
off by water leaving yellowed whites. A commercial bluing
product allows the consumer to add back the bluing to restore the
whiteness.
C. Process
a)

VI.

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Saponification
Saponification is the hydrolysis of a carboxylic acid ester
under basic conditions. The direct products are a carboxylic acid
salt and alcohol. To convert the salt to the corresponding
carboxylic acid, acidic workup of the product mixture is required.

Soap owes its remarkable properties to its ability to act as an

emulsifying agent. Since, long hydrocarbon chains of soaps are
insoluble in water; they tend to form into cluster so that they can
minimize their contact with the water molecules that surrounds
them. Polar carboxylate groups tend to remain in contact with
surrounding molecules of water. as a result, soap molecules
spontaneously group around into miscelles, which is non-polar and
insoluble in water commonly known as dirt.
Raw Materials
The following are the raw materials used and its functions presented in a
table:

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Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila

College of Engineering and Technology
Department of Chemical Engineering

Reagents
Sodium Tripolyphosphate
Linear Alkylbenzene Sulphonate
Laundry Blue
Scented Fragrance Oil
Sodium Sulfate
Coconut Diethanolamide

Functions
Builder, Soften Water.
Surfactants, Remove dirt from surfaces.
Fluorescent Whitening Agents, make yellowed
fabrics appear white.
Adds a pleasant smell.
Bulking agent, increases the volume of the
product through dilution.
Bubble Former.

Percentage Composition

CDEA; 12%
STPP; 21%
Laundry blue; 1%

Sodium Sulfate; 60%

Fragrance oil; 1%
LABS; 5%

After making the detergent, the following are the percentage composition presented in a pie
graph.

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Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila

College of Engineering and Technology
Department of Chemical Engineering

VII.

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Procedure
A. Preparation
a) Measuring of Raw Materials
1. In preparation for making the enhanced whitening and stain
removing powdered detergent, the following raw materials are
measured: (1) Sodium Sulfate 60.0g; (2) Sodium
Tripolyphosphate 21.0g; (3) Coconut Diethanolamide 12.0mL;
(4) Linear Alkylbenzene Sulfonate 5.0mL; (5) Fragrance Oil
1.0mL; (6) Laundry Blue 1.0g
B. Major Process
a) Mixing
In a clean basin, add all solid reagents such as 21.0 grams of
Sodium Tripolyphosphate, 60.0 grams of Sodium Sulfate, and 1.0
grams of Laundry Blue. After adding the solid reagents, add the
liquid raw materials such as12.0 mL of Coconut Diethanolamide,
and 5.0 mL of Linear Alkylbenzene Sulfonate. It is then mixed
using your hands for about 10 minutes until the raw materials are
evenly and thoroughly mixed.
b)

Filtering
Using a strainer, filter the mixture to separate the fine powder to
the lumps. Apply force to ground the lumps obtained.

c)

Addition of Other Components

Add 1.0 mL of fragrance oil to the mixture to add a pleasant smell
to it.

d)

Drying
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Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila

College of Engineering and Technology
Department of Chemical Engineering

After filtering the mixture, let it sit for 20 minutes. Atmospheric air
is used to let the mixture dry.
C. Packaging
Once the desired detergent is obtained, the product is ready to be packed
and can be placed inside air tight bags.

The table below shows the unit operations and apparatus used in the laboratory, together
with their respective equivalent manufacturing process and equipment in the industry.
Unit Operation

Apparatus

Manufacturing
Manufacturing
Process
Equipment
Measuring of Raw Analytical
Balance; Acceptance of Raw
Materials
Pipette;
Graduated Materials
Cylinder
Mixing
Basin
Mixing
Slurry
Preparation
Tank; Coarse Mixer
Filtering
Strainer
Filtering
Coarse Filter; Rolling
Machine
Addition of Other Basin, Stirring Rod
Addition of Additives
Mixing Tank
Components
Drying
Drying
Spray Dryer
Packaging
Packaging
Packaging Machine
Production Process Summary
Powdered detergent manufacturing plant consists of mixing, drying, and packaging.
These units are briefly described as follows:
Mixing Unit
Linear Alkylbenzene Sulfonate is measured and put into a slurry preparation tank
together with the other measured raw materials such as sodium sulfate and other additives. The
slurry preparation tanks acts as a coarse mixer which breaks down lumps and eliminate air
pockets. After blending, the materials are taken to an ageing vessel.

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Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila

College of Engineering and Technology
Department of Chemical Engineering

Mixing the slurry is carefully controlled to prevent exposure to air. The feed or input
slurry passes through a coarse filter, homogenizer, and fine filter. Deaeration of the product is
done only if necessary. The slurry of constant solid and viscosity is now ready to be dried using
the spray drying. The slurry is heated and transferred to the spray drying by high pressure pump.
Drying Unit
The detergent products in bead form are produced by Spray Drying mostly in counter
current flow using pressure nozzle atomization. The slurry is sprayed through the nozzles to
create small bead like droplets. Inlet temperatures, up to 400 oC for some detergents, vary
according to the product. Hot air from direct fired air heaters are used for spray drying
Packaging Unit
The final product is packed here. The detergent powder is put into the packing machine.

VIII. Data and Results

Trials in Making the Detergent
Amount
Observations
Trial 1
5.0 mL CDEA
Almost no bubbles
formed
Trial 2
10.0 mL CDEA
Small
amount
of
bubbles are formed
Trial 3
12.0 mL CDEA
Enough bubbles are
formed
Therefore, Trial 3 suits the detergent desired and 12.0 mL of Coconut
Diethanolamide is used in the said detergent.
Trial

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Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila

College of Engineering and Technology
Department of Chemical Engineering

PRODUCT TESTING
A. Bubble Formation
Using 5.0 grams of the made detergent and 70 mL of tap water an experimental
solution was made. It will be compared to the solution made with 5.0 grams of
commercial detergent (Pride) mixed with 70 mL of tap water. The solutions were
placed in a closed container and shaken vigorously. By using a ruler to measure
the height of the bubbles we obtained the following data:

Trials
Trial 1
Trial 2
Trial 3
AVERAGE:

Bubble Formation
Experimental Detergent
2.5 cm
2.3 cm
2.0 cm
2.26 cm

Commercial Detergent
6.0 cm
6.3 cm
6.8 cm
6.36 cm

% Difference = [(6.36 2.26)/6.36] x 100 = 64.5%

B. CleaningAbility
To compare the cleaning powers of the experimental detergent and a commercial
detergent (pride), we used a white baby pajamas stained with ketchup.
Detergent
Commercial

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Cleaning Powers
Before

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After

Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila

College of Engineering and Technology
Department of Chemical Engineering

Experimental

IX.

Conclusion
In making of the detergent, we consider the bubble formation and the
cleaning powers of the detergent. In comparison to the commercial
detergent, it tells us that the difference in our detergent and the
commercial detergent in terms of bubble formation is 64.5 %. When it
comes to cleaning powers our detergent and commercial detergent is
nearly close to each other. By the results and data gathered, we can
conclude that our product is not close to commercial detergents when it
comes to bubble formation, but in cleaning both detergents can remove
stain from the clothes effectively. The main raw material responsible for
the formation of bubbles is the coconut diethanolamide. The bubbles
formed by the detergent will increase as you add this reagent. The amount
of CDEA in trial 3 is used because there is enough bubbles formed unlike
the other two trials.
REFERENCES

Sylvia Ruma.Why Do I Have Yellow Stains On My T - Shirt?. March 31, 2014. Retrieved July 3,
2015 from http://www.rumaorganics.com/.../why-do-i-have-yellow.../
Soap & detergent. Retrieved July 3, 2015, from
http://www.cleaninginstitute.org/clean_living/soaps__detergent_history_3.aspx
Detergent history. Retrieved July 3, 2015, from http://www.soaphistory.net/detergent-historyfacts/history-of-detergent/
Bettelheim F.A et al (2007). Introduction to General, Organic, and Biochemistry, pp.460- 461
(8th ed.). Singapore, Singapore: Brooks/Cole.

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