Stainless steel soap

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Example of a bar of stainless steel soap. Stainless steel hand-soap.jpg
Example of a bar of stainless steel soap.

Stainless steel soap is a piece of stainless steel, in the form of a soap bar or other hand-held shape. Its purported purpose is to neutralize or reduce strong odors such as those from handling garlic, onion, durian, guava, salami, or fish. [1]

Contents

No published scientific studies are known to have been conducted on the efficacy of these soaps, for which serious doubts have been raised. [2] [3]

Proposed mechanism

The chemistry of garlic

The characteristic taste and odor of garlic is due to an oily, slightly yellow organosulfur compound S-Allyl prop-2-ene-1-sulfinothioate, commonly called Allicin. Fresh garlic has little odor until it is chopped or crushed. Allicin is produced from alliin (a derivative of the amino acid cysteine) by the enzyme alliinase. [4] Allicin is unstable and breaks down to form other sulfur compounds such as diallyl sulfides. [5] These compounds contribute to the smell of fresh garlic. When on the hands these sulfur compounds can further degrade into other sulfur compounds, including sulfuric acid, in the presence of water.

The chemistry of stainless steel

Steel is an alloy made up of iron mixed with carbon. Stainless steel is composed of steel mixed with at least 10.5% chromium, and often other elements such nickel and molybdenum, etc. Chromium is added to make it resistant to rust. Stainless steels that are corrosion and oxidation resistant typically need more than 11% chromium. Nickel is added to increase the corrosion resistance further, and protect it from harsh environmental conditions. Molybdenum may be added to avoid pitting or scarring. The chemical properties of stainless steel can be further improved for specialized uses by adding other elements, e.g. titanium, vanadium and copper. [6]

Possible mechanism

The chromium [7] in stainless steel forms a passive oxide film on the surface of the metal, resulting in corrosion resistance. [8] It is suggested that allicin and the other sulfur compounds (including sulfuric acid) react with the chromium oxide layer, some possibly being adsorbed onto it. Washing the stainless steel soap in water would remove this layer and with it the smelly sulfur compounds. The oxide film would then reform and the stainless steel soap can be reused. [9]

Mark Lorch, Professor of Science Communication and Chemistry at the University of Hull and Joanna Buckley, Materials chemist and science communicator, at the University of Sheffield conducted some "citizen science" in 2016 to test this mechanism but there is no conclusive, rigorous evidence for it. [9]

Usage

Companies that produce stainless steel soaps claim that the odors these foods cause result from sulfur, which turns into sulfuric acid upon washing the hands. The aim of the stainless steel soap is to then bind to the sulfur molecules, thus removing them and the associated smell from the hands. [1]

See also

Related Research Articles

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Chromium is a chemical element; it has symbol Cr and atomic number 24. It is the first element in group 6. It is a steely-grey, lustrous, hard, and brittle transition metal.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Molybdenum</span> Chemical element, symbol Mo and atomic number 42

Molybdenum is a chemical element; it has symbol Mo and atomic number 42. The name derived from Ancient Greek Μόλυβδος molybdos, meaning lead, since its ores were confused with lead ores. Molybdenum minerals have been known throughout history, but the element was discovered in 1778 by Carl Wilhelm Scheele. The metal was first isolated in 1781 by Peter Jacob Hjelm.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stainless steel</span> Steel alloy resistant to corrosion

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sulfur</span> Chemical element, symbol S and atomic number 16

Sulfur (also spelled sulphur in British English) is a chemical element; it has symbol S and atomic number 16. It is abundant, multivalent and nonmetallic. Under normal conditions, sulfur atoms form cyclic octatomic molecules with the chemical formula S8. Elemental sulfur is a bright yellow, crystalline solid at room temperature.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Garlic</span> Species of edible plant

Garlic is a species of bulbous flowering plant in the genus Allium. Its close relatives include the onion, shallot, leek, chive, Welsh onion, and Chinese onion. It is native to South Asia, Central Asia and northeastern Iran and has long been used as a seasoning worldwide, with a history of several thousand years of human consumption and use. It was known to ancient Egyptians and has been used as both a food flavoring and a traditional medicine. China produced 73% of the world's supply of garlic in 2021.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Allicin</span> Chemical compound

Allicin is an organosulfur compound obtained from garlic. When fresh garlic is chopped or crushed, the enzyme alliinase converts alliin into allicin, which is responsible for the aroma of fresh garlic. Allicin is unstable and quickly changes into a series of other sulfur-containing compounds such as diallyl disulfide. Allicin is an antifeedant, i.e. the defense mechanism against attacks by pests on the garlic plant.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alliin</span> Chemical compound

Alliin is a sulfoxide that is a natural constituent of fresh garlic. It is a derivative of the amino acid cysteine. When fresh garlic is chopped or crushed, the enzyme alliinase converts alliin into allicin, which is responsible for the aroma of fresh garlic. Allicin and other thiosulfinates in garlic are unstable and form a number of other compounds, such as diallyl sulfide (DAS), diallyl disulfide (DADS) and diallyl trisulfide (DAT), dithiins and ajoene. Garlic powder is not a source of alliin, nor is fresh garlic upon maceration, since the enzymatic conversion to allicin takes place in the order of seconds.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Diallyl disulfide</span> Chemical compound

Diallyl disulfide is an organosulfur compound derived from garlic and a few other genus Allium plants. Along with diallyl trisulfide and diallyl tetrasulfide, it is one of the principal components of the distilled oil of garlic. It is a yellowish liquid which is insoluble in water and has a strong garlic odour. It is produced during the decomposition of allicin, which is released upon crushing garlic and other plants of the family Alliaceae. Diallyl disulfide has many of the health benefits of garlic, but it is also an allergen causing garlic allergy. Highly diluted, it is used as a flavoring in food. It decomposes in the human body into other compounds such as allyl methyl sulfide.

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In enzymology, an alliin lyase is an enzyme that catalyzes the chemical reaction

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References

  1. 1 2 Kitchen Daily (2012-03-13). "Why Does Stainless Steel Erase Garlic's Smell?". HuffPost. Retrieved 2019-06-20.
  2. Lyden, Jacki (2006-11-11). "Does a Bit of Steel Get Rid of That Garlic Smell?". All Things Considered. NPR. Archived from the original on 2015-11-17. Retrieved 8 March 2022.
  3. Pollick, Michael (2012-04-04). "What is Stainless Steel Soap?". wiseGEEK. Archived from the original on 2015-11-17. Retrieved 8 March 2022.
  4. Kourounakis, PN; Rekka, EA (November 1991). "Effect on active oxygen species of alliin and Allium sativum (garlic) powder". Research Communications in Chemical Pathology and Pharmacology. 74 (2): 249–52. PMID   1667340.
  5. Amagase, Harunobu; Petesch, Brenda L.; Matsuura, Hiromichi; Kasuga, Shigeo; Itakura, Yoichi (2001). "Intake of Garlic and Its Bioactive Components". The Journal of Nutrition. Oxford University Press (OUP). 131 (3): 955S–962S. doi: 10.1093/jn/131.3.955s . ISSN   0022-3166. PMID   11238796.
  6. "The Chemical Properties of Stainless Steel That Make it Unique". ScienceStruck. Science Struck & Buzzle.com, Inc. 18 June 2009. Retrieved 9 March 2022.
  7. Davis, Joseph R., ed. (1994). Stainless Steels. ASM Specialty Handbook. Materials Park, OH: ASM International. ISBN   9780871705037. Archived from the original on 14 April 2021. Retrieved 8 March 2022.
  8. International Stainless Steel Forum (8 March 2020). "The Stainless Steel Family" (PDF). Brussels, Belgium. Archived (PDF) from the original on 24 March 2016. Retrieved 8 March 2022.
  9. 1 2 Lorch, Mark; Buckley, Joanna (24 November 2016). "Does stainless steel really get rid of garlic smells? Round 2. – Chemistry Blog". Chemistry Blog – A Chat and Waffles Chemistry Blog. Archived from the original on 8 January 2023. Retrieved 8 March 2022.