Answer to Question #23868 in Organic Chemistry for dora

Question

what are the chemical components of detergent cake?

Answer 1

Commercial detergent cakes are made up of many different chemical compounds (different surfactants, colorants, pH modifiers, chlorinated and non-chlorinated whiteners, etc). Detergents are generally sodium or potassium salts of higher fatty acids. For example, one effective (albeit harsh) surfactant is sodium lauryl sulfate (aka sodium dodecyl sulfate): C₁₂H₂₅NaO₄S, sodium stearate (C₁₇H₃₅COOH), sodium palmitate (C₁₅H₃₁COOH).