Tag: Saponification

Which means you also know that ‘when the carboxylate is long chain, its salt is called a soap’. And that the esters in question are oils and fats, and the aqueous alkali is traditionally lye, or caustic soda. As our learned friend Dr Wikipedia continues to explain, the lye ‘clea...

Fundamentals of Saponification: At its core, saponification is the chemical reaction that transforms fats or oils into soap and glycerin. This reaction occurs when triglycerides (fats and oils) combine with an alkaline substance, typically sodium hydroxide (for solid soap) or potassium hydroxide ...