Reactions

Reactions play an important role in both the creation and effective usage of the bath
bombs. Many reactions take place when the bath bomb comes into contact with other
substances. The reaction can be categorized into two categories, the reactions that
happen during the creation of the bath bomb, and the reactions that happen when the
bath bomb comes into contact with water.

Reactions that take place during the Creation of the Bath

Bomb
Note: For the purpose of this experiment, the carboxylic acid and the alcohol had been
already prepared.

Esterification
Before the bath bomb can come into being, the ester must first be created. It is the ester
that gives the bath bomb its distinct scent. To create an ester, a carboxylic acid must be
reacted with an alcohol in the presence of sulphuric acid (H2SO4) as a catalyst. To ensure
a high yield of ester, when the carboxylic acid and the alcohol are reacted, they are

placed in an ice bath for five to six minutes following a hot water bath for the same
duration.

In order to create the distinct smell of pineapple, butyric acid (C4H

8O
2)
was reacted with
ethanol (C2H
in the presence of sulphuric acid (H2SO
4) as a catalyst. The reaction is
6O)

shown below.

Butyric Acid

Ethanol

Ethyl Butanoate

Water
In this reaction, butyric acid reacts with ethanol to form ethyl butanoate and water. When
butyric acid and ethanol react, HOH (water) is eliminated and a bond is formed between
a carbon of the ethyl chain and the oxygen on the butyl chain. As a result, ethyl
butanoate, an ester, is formed along with water.
This reaction can also be called an elimination reaction as water is being eliminated from
the reactants and as a result, is no longer present in the ester that is created.

Reactions that take place when the Bath Bomb comes into
contact with Water
There are two reactions take place when the bath bomb comes into contact with water,
namely:
1. Saponification Reaction
2. Neutralization Reaction

Saponification Reaction
A saponification reaction is a reaction between a fatty ester and a base that creates soap
and a glycerol. The soap is a salt of an alkli metal, in this case sodium (Na).
The saponification reaction that occurs when this bath bomb is dropped into water is:

Vegetable Oil

Sodium Bicarbonate

Sodium Salt

Glycerol

In this bath bomb, the vegetable oil acts as the fatty ester because it is made up of
triglycerides, and the base is sodium bicarbonate (baking soda). The sodium bicarbonate
breaks the bonds of the vegetable oil ester and releases the fatty acid salt (in other
words, soap!) and glycerol (a very efficient skin moisturizer) into the water, which makes
the water soapy and is responsible for its cloudiness.

Neutralization Reaction
A neutralization reaction is a reaction between an acid and a base which results in the
formation of a salt (ionic compound formed from a neutralization reaction) and water. In
this case, as seen from the fizzing of water after the addition of water, along with salt and
water, CO2 gas is also produced. The reaction is described below.

Sodium

Citric Acid

Sodium Citrate

Carbon Dioxide

Water

Bicarbonate
In this reaction, sodium bicarbonate reacts with citric acid forming sodium citrate, carbon
dioxide, and water. The formation of carbon dioxide explains the fizzing which was
previously witnessed when the bath bomb dissolved in water.