This work contains revised versions of material from the author's previous books on soap, plus lectures from the 2006 and 2008 conferences on Soap, Detergents, Oleochemicals and Personal Care Products (SODEOPEC). The book is highly illustrated with b&w equipment schematics, chemical process illustrations, and, in an extensive historical chapter, b&w photos and soap advertisements from different periods. The book describes soap-making methods such as kettle and continuous saponification, semi-boiled soap production systems, and soap drying and finishing systems. One chapter is devoted to raw materials for making soap, and one chapter covers soap bar performance evaluation methods. Other topics are implications of soap structure for formulation and user properties, soap structure and phase behavior, and transparent and translucent soaps. A final chapter provides calculations, a glossary, and specifications for fats, oils, and fatty acids. Spitz is a consultant. Annotation ©2010 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)
