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Developing
an Environmentally Friendly Product
Teacher's
Guide
Subject
Area
This activity
is designed for the Grade 11 general Chemistry curriculum as part
of Optional Unit 2: The Chemistry of Consumer Products. The preparation
of a consumer product is a mandatory activity in this unit.
Learning
Outcomes
Teaching,
learning and evaluation will focus on the student's ability to:
- Apply
laboratory techniques and skills to produce a consumer product;
- Test,
evaluate and modify the product according to product trials;
- Evaluate
the environmental impact of the product and modify it accordingly;
- Design
an advertising strategy for a product.
Classroom
Development
- Plain
empty reusable plastic containers may be used for packaging;
large adhesive labels may be attached with the product's name
and logo.
- Existing
products may be used as components of the final product to give
a fragrance and colour as long as they meet the standards for
environmentally friendliness. Health food stores and the Body
Shop sell small amounts of essential oils which may be mixed
and used as fragrance. These components should be listed as
additives. Health food stores are also a good source for raw
materials such as beeswax, coconut oil, and glycerine.
- Labels
should include all components of the product listed in order
by mass of the component in the product.
- A panel
could test the products *. Students should prepare a product
evaluation sheet consisting of a ranking scale for the various
qualities of the product such as fragrance, texture, colour,
"feel," lathering ability (if a soap), quality, pH,
appeal of label and image of product.
- Students
could determine the cost to produce the product, and provide
written support for their cost analysis.
- Extensions
could include studying the use of animals to test products,
and the uselessness of many health and beauty products on the
market.
* None of
the products should be tasted. The testing of personal care products
should be limited to placing them on the hand. Students with sensitive
skin or allergies should not be part of the testing process.
Background
Recipes
for soap, aftershave (modify with fragrance as a perfume), aftershave
stick, and cleansing cream may be found in Chemistry at Work.
Timing
Two periods
should be reserved for the development of the product. The lab
preparation and refining the product commercial should be done
out of class time. One period will be required to present commercials,
test and evaluate the product.
Resources
Shapiro,
B and S. Shapiro. Chemistry at Work. Toronto: Copp Clark
Pitman Ltd., 1989. This text is a good reference for consumer
chemistry.
Cross-disciplinary
Links
Business
and Marketing - Classes could get involved with marketing and
sales strategies.
English
and Media studies- Classes could produce video and audio commercials.
Visual Arts
- Students could get involved with the production of a label,
logo and advertisement campaign.
Extensions
After students
have completed making soap, direct some of them to contact companies
that make and market "biodegradable soap." Have them
determine what the criteria are for "biodegradability"
and whether any of the student-made soaps or other products meet
these requirements.
Student
Activity
Developing
an Environmentally Friendly Product
In this
activity a new product will be made, refined and marketed by you.
The product may be a soap, perfume, after-shave or cold cream.
Your job is to not only make the product, but to ensure that it
is environmentally friendly. If your product is fully "biodegradable"
then you have the best product.
Procedure
- After
deciding upon a product, prepare it by using the method outlined
by your chemistry teacher.
- Record
comments on the success of the production and determine how
the method could be improved to prepare a better product.
- Prepare
the product a second time but change the aspects of the production
necessary to improve it. Define which aspect you would change
and explain what you will do to change it before hand.
- Record
your comments after the second trial.
- Make
notes on: the raw materials required, the energy required, waste
products produced, disposal of waste and packaging.
- Determine
to the best of your ability the environmentally unfriendly aspects
of your product, and describe how you might mitigate them.
- Develop
a name, label, and concept for your product. Prepare a commercial
for a magazine, television or, radio.
Evaluation
Laboratory
preparation of the product /15
Success
of the product /10
Environmental
concerns /10
Advertising
/10
A
Recipe for Soap
Materials
10 g lye
thermometer
25 ml water
Bunsen Burner
1 g borax
retort rod
60 g lard
ring clamp
additives
for colour and fragrance wire gauze
2 ml household
ammonia mold
250 ml beaker
Procedure
- Dissolve
10 g of lye in 25 ml of tap water. Stir and allow the solution
to cool to 25o C.
- Dissolve
1g of Borax in the lye as it cools.
- Melt
60 g of lard in a 250 ml beaker. Let the mixture cool to 30o
C.
- Using
a slow, steady stream, add the lye mixture to the lard, stirring
evenly.
- Add 2
ml of ammonia; continue to stir. A few drops of colour or fragrance
may be added.
- Pour
the thickened mixture into the prepared mold.
- Cover
and store in a warm dry place for 2 weeks.
Cautions
and Suggestions
- Lye solution
causes severe burns. Goggles and aprons should be worn at all
times. If the lye comes in contact with the skin, wash the area
quickly with water.
- Borax
is added to improve the creation of suds.
- If the
lye is added too rapidly the product will separate.
- Oils
of lavender, citronella, lemon, cloves, and almond may be used
for scent as well as for their own therapeutic affects. Only
a drop or two is required. Several drops of natural source food
colouring may also be added. Experiment with fragrant or colourful
plants to produce a natural extract for colour and fragrance.
These should be prepared in advance.
- Pumice
may also be added to improve the soap's ability to cut grease.
- Sodium
silicate can be added to make the soap harder.
- A small
wooded or plastic box is needed for a mold. The box should be
lined with plastic wrap or foil. Egg cartons will give a strange
shape but work well.
- Aging
improves the soap.
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