Soap-Making Manual
Edgar George Thomssen's Soap-Making Manual occupies a distinct and influential position in the technical literature of early twentieth-century industrial chemistry. Originally published in 1919, the manual represents a concise yet richly informative guide to the commercial and practical aspects of soap manufacture. Its purpose is both didactic and utilitarian, aimed at chemists, factory managers, and technical students seeking to understand or refine the mechanistic, chemical, and procedural intricacies of soap production in an industrial context.
The work is emblematic of a post-Victorian, industrially advancing age, where scientific rationalism increasingly undergirded manufacturing processes. Thomssen situates soap not merely as a domestic commodity, but as the product of a deeply chemical art, involving organic and inorganic reactions governed by measurable laws. As such, the manual combines chemical theory with practical application, reflecting a synergy between academic chemistry and factory-floor pragmatism.
Central to Thomssen's exposition is the saponification process—the reaction of fats and oils with alkali to produce soap and glycerin. His treatment of this reaction is both theoretical and experimental: he includes precise formulae, temperature controls, and time durations, but also attends to the practical variances of different fatty materials, including tallow, coconut oil, palm oil, and various rosin derivatives. In doing so, he emphasizes the necessity of a well-informed adaptability on the part of the soap-maker—one who must understand the reactivity, purity, and economic viability of raw materials.
The manual is particularly notable for its treatment of equipment and process control. Thomssen provides detailed descriptions of soap kettles, crutching machinery, drying frames, and cutting devices, reflecting an industrial operation already far removed from artisanal soap-making. His concern with efficiency, reproducibility, and cleanliness anticipates later developments in process engineering and quality control. Indeed, the manual can be seen as part of a broader movement toward standardization in manufacturing—a response to the increasing complexity and scale of chemical industries in the early 1900s.
A significant aspect of Thomssen's work is his attention to various types of soap—hard and soft soaps, laundry soaps, toilet soaps, and specialty products. He distinguishes these not only by their ingredients but by their intended markets and uses. In this respect, the manual does not neglect the economic and social dimensions of soap manufacture: it is implicitly concerned with consumer expectations, branding, and competition, especially in the expanding urban marketplaces of the United States and Europe.
Further, Thomssen addresses challenges such as alkali testing, the detection of free fatty acids, and glycerin recovery, underscoring the manual's chemical sophistication. His inclusion of tables, analytical methods, and troubleshooting procedures reflects the growing professionalization of chemical work at the time. The chemist is envisioned not merely as a mixer of ingredients, but as a diagnostician and innovator, capable of refining processes and reducing waste.
From a historical perspective, Soap-Making Manual stands at the intersection of industrial chemistry, commercial enterprise, and hygienic modernity. Soap—once a luxury—had by this period become a ubiquitous necessity, increasingly associated with cleanliness, health, and civilization itself. Thomssen's manual, therefore, is not simply a technical handbook; it is a document of cultural importance, reflecting how science and industry were enlisted to meet the evolving sanitary expectations of modern society.
In conclusion, Edgar George Thomssen's Soap-Making Manual is a masterful articulation of early industrial soap manufacture. It bridges the gap between science and practice, offering a lucid, exacting, and contextually rich treatment of a process fundamental to both domestic life and industrial development. As such, it remains a valuable source for historians of science and technology, and a testament to the sophistication of applied chemistry in the early twentieth century.
1027816082
The work is emblematic of a post-Victorian, industrially advancing age, where scientific rationalism increasingly undergirded manufacturing processes. Thomssen situates soap not merely as a domestic commodity, but as the product of a deeply chemical art, involving organic and inorganic reactions governed by measurable laws. As such, the manual combines chemical theory with practical application, reflecting a synergy between academic chemistry and factory-floor pragmatism.
Central to Thomssen's exposition is the saponification process—the reaction of fats and oils with alkali to produce soap and glycerin. His treatment of this reaction is both theoretical and experimental: he includes precise formulae, temperature controls, and time durations, but also attends to the practical variances of different fatty materials, including tallow, coconut oil, palm oil, and various rosin derivatives. In doing so, he emphasizes the necessity of a well-informed adaptability on the part of the soap-maker—one who must understand the reactivity, purity, and economic viability of raw materials.
The manual is particularly notable for its treatment of equipment and process control. Thomssen provides detailed descriptions of soap kettles, crutching machinery, drying frames, and cutting devices, reflecting an industrial operation already far removed from artisanal soap-making. His concern with efficiency, reproducibility, and cleanliness anticipates later developments in process engineering and quality control. Indeed, the manual can be seen as part of a broader movement toward standardization in manufacturing—a response to the increasing complexity and scale of chemical industries in the early 1900s.
A significant aspect of Thomssen's work is his attention to various types of soap—hard and soft soaps, laundry soaps, toilet soaps, and specialty products. He distinguishes these not only by their ingredients but by their intended markets and uses. In this respect, the manual does not neglect the economic and social dimensions of soap manufacture: it is implicitly concerned with consumer expectations, branding, and competition, especially in the expanding urban marketplaces of the United States and Europe.
Further, Thomssen addresses challenges such as alkali testing, the detection of free fatty acids, and glycerin recovery, underscoring the manual's chemical sophistication. His inclusion of tables, analytical methods, and troubleshooting procedures reflects the growing professionalization of chemical work at the time. The chemist is envisioned not merely as a mixer of ingredients, but as a diagnostician and innovator, capable of refining processes and reducing waste.
From a historical perspective, Soap-Making Manual stands at the intersection of industrial chemistry, commercial enterprise, and hygienic modernity. Soap—once a luxury—had by this period become a ubiquitous necessity, increasingly associated with cleanliness, health, and civilization itself. Thomssen's manual, therefore, is not simply a technical handbook; it is a document of cultural importance, reflecting how science and industry were enlisted to meet the evolving sanitary expectations of modern society.
In conclusion, Edgar George Thomssen's Soap-Making Manual is a masterful articulation of early industrial soap manufacture. It bridges the gap between science and practice, offering a lucid, exacting, and contextually rich treatment of a process fundamental to both domestic life and industrial development. As such, it remains a valuable source for historians of science and technology, and a testament to the sophistication of applied chemistry in the early twentieth century.
Soap-Making Manual
Edgar George Thomssen's Soap-Making Manual occupies a distinct and influential position in the technical literature of early twentieth-century industrial chemistry. Originally published in 1919, the manual represents a concise yet richly informative guide to the commercial and practical aspects of soap manufacture. Its purpose is both didactic and utilitarian, aimed at chemists, factory managers, and technical students seeking to understand or refine the mechanistic, chemical, and procedural intricacies of soap production in an industrial context.
The work is emblematic of a post-Victorian, industrially advancing age, where scientific rationalism increasingly undergirded manufacturing processes. Thomssen situates soap not merely as a domestic commodity, but as the product of a deeply chemical art, involving organic and inorganic reactions governed by measurable laws. As such, the manual combines chemical theory with practical application, reflecting a synergy between academic chemistry and factory-floor pragmatism.
Central to Thomssen's exposition is the saponification process—the reaction of fats and oils with alkali to produce soap and glycerin. His treatment of this reaction is both theoretical and experimental: he includes precise formulae, temperature controls, and time durations, but also attends to the practical variances of different fatty materials, including tallow, coconut oil, palm oil, and various rosin derivatives. In doing so, he emphasizes the necessity of a well-informed adaptability on the part of the soap-maker—one who must understand the reactivity, purity, and economic viability of raw materials.
The manual is particularly notable for its treatment of equipment and process control. Thomssen provides detailed descriptions of soap kettles, crutching machinery, drying frames, and cutting devices, reflecting an industrial operation already far removed from artisanal soap-making. His concern with efficiency, reproducibility, and cleanliness anticipates later developments in process engineering and quality control. Indeed, the manual can be seen as part of a broader movement toward standardization in manufacturing—a response to the increasing complexity and scale of chemical industries in the early 1900s.
A significant aspect of Thomssen's work is his attention to various types of soap—hard and soft soaps, laundry soaps, toilet soaps, and specialty products. He distinguishes these not only by their ingredients but by their intended markets and uses. In this respect, the manual does not neglect the economic and social dimensions of soap manufacture: it is implicitly concerned with consumer expectations, branding, and competition, especially in the expanding urban marketplaces of the United States and Europe.
Further, Thomssen addresses challenges such as alkali testing, the detection of free fatty acids, and glycerin recovery, underscoring the manual's chemical sophistication. His inclusion of tables, analytical methods, and troubleshooting procedures reflects the growing professionalization of chemical work at the time. The chemist is envisioned not merely as a mixer of ingredients, but as a diagnostician and innovator, capable of refining processes and reducing waste.
From a historical perspective, Soap-Making Manual stands at the intersection of industrial chemistry, commercial enterprise, and hygienic modernity. Soap—once a luxury—had by this period become a ubiquitous necessity, increasingly associated with cleanliness, health, and civilization itself. Thomssen's manual, therefore, is not simply a technical handbook; it is a document of cultural importance, reflecting how science and industry were enlisted to meet the evolving sanitary expectations of modern society.
In conclusion, Edgar George Thomssen's Soap-Making Manual is a masterful articulation of early industrial soap manufacture. It bridges the gap between science and practice, offering a lucid, exacting, and contextually rich treatment of a process fundamental to both domestic life and industrial development. As such, it remains a valuable source for historians of science and technology, and a testament to the sophistication of applied chemistry in the early twentieth century.
The work is emblematic of a post-Victorian, industrially advancing age, where scientific rationalism increasingly undergirded manufacturing processes. Thomssen situates soap not merely as a domestic commodity, but as the product of a deeply chemical art, involving organic and inorganic reactions governed by measurable laws. As such, the manual combines chemical theory with practical application, reflecting a synergy between academic chemistry and factory-floor pragmatism.
Central to Thomssen's exposition is the saponification process—the reaction of fats and oils with alkali to produce soap and glycerin. His treatment of this reaction is both theoretical and experimental: he includes precise formulae, temperature controls, and time durations, but also attends to the practical variances of different fatty materials, including tallow, coconut oil, palm oil, and various rosin derivatives. In doing so, he emphasizes the necessity of a well-informed adaptability on the part of the soap-maker—one who must understand the reactivity, purity, and economic viability of raw materials.
The manual is particularly notable for its treatment of equipment and process control. Thomssen provides detailed descriptions of soap kettles, crutching machinery, drying frames, and cutting devices, reflecting an industrial operation already far removed from artisanal soap-making. His concern with efficiency, reproducibility, and cleanliness anticipates later developments in process engineering and quality control. Indeed, the manual can be seen as part of a broader movement toward standardization in manufacturing—a response to the increasing complexity and scale of chemical industries in the early 1900s.
A significant aspect of Thomssen's work is his attention to various types of soap—hard and soft soaps, laundry soaps, toilet soaps, and specialty products. He distinguishes these not only by their ingredients but by their intended markets and uses. In this respect, the manual does not neglect the economic and social dimensions of soap manufacture: it is implicitly concerned with consumer expectations, branding, and competition, especially in the expanding urban marketplaces of the United States and Europe.
Further, Thomssen addresses challenges such as alkali testing, the detection of free fatty acids, and glycerin recovery, underscoring the manual's chemical sophistication. His inclusion of tables, analytical methods, and troubleshooting procedures reflects the growing professionalization of chemical work at the time. The chemist is envisioned not merely as a mixer of ingredients, but as a diagnostician and innovator, capable of refining processes and reducing waste.
From a historical perspective, Soap-Making Manual stands at the intersection of industrial chemistry, commercial enterprise, and hygienic modernity. Soap—once a luxury—had by this period become a ubiquitous necessity, increasingly associated with cleanliness, health, and civilization itself. Thomssen's manual, therefore, is not simply a technical handbook; it is a document of cultural importance, reflecting how science and industry were enlisted to meet the evolving sanitary expectations of modern society.
In conclusion, Edgar George Thomssen's Soap-Making Manual is a masterful articulation of early industrial soap manufacture. It bridges the gap between science and practice, offering a lucid, exacting, and contextually rich treatment of a process fundamental to both domestic life and industrial development. As such, it remains a valuable source for historians of science and technology, and a testament to the sophistication of applied chemistry in the early twentieth century.
4.99
In Stock
5
1
Soap-Making Manual
Soap-Making Manual
Related collections and offers
4.99
In Stock
From the B&N Reads Blog