Thermal, Infrared and X-Ray Diffraction Studies on Manganese and Zinc Soaps

Abstract

The IR results showed that manganese and zinc laurates and

palmitates have an ionic character. The X-ray diffraction patterns

indicated that the zig-zag chains of fatty acid radical constituent of

the soap molecules extend straight forward on both sides of each

basal plane and the molecular axes of the soap molecules are somewhat

inclined to the basal plane and these soaps possessed single

layer structure. The thermal decomposition of manganese and zinc

soaps has been studied both as a function of temperature and of

time. The thermogravimetric analysis has shown that the order of

decomposition reaction is kinetically of zero order and the energy

of activation for the process lies in the range of 27-36 kJ mol^–1.