Everything about Saponification totally explained
Saponification is the
hydrolysis of an
ester under
basic conditions to form an
alcohol and the
salt of a
carboxylic acid. Saponification is commonly used to refer to the reaction of a metallic alkali (
base) with a
fat or
oil to form
soap. Saponifiable substances are those that can be converted into soap.
» CH
2-OOC-R - CH-OOC-R - CH
2-OOC-R (fat) + 3
NaOH (or
KOH)
both heated
→
» CH
2-OH -CH-OH - CH
2-OH (glycerol) + 3 R-CO
2-Na (soap)
where R=(CH
2)
14CH
3 in the example (right)
Sodium hydroxide (NaOH) is a
caustic base. If NaOH is used a hard soap is formed, whereas when
potassium hydroxide (KOH) is used, a soft soap is formed.
Vegetable oils and
animal fats are fatty esters in the form of
triglycerides. The alkali breaks the ester bond and releases the
fatty acid and
glycerol. If necessary, soaps may be
precipitated by
salting it out with
saturated sodium chloride.
Corpses
Saponification can also refer to the other soft tissue in a conversion of the fat of a
corpse into
adipocere, often called "grave wax." This process is more common where the amount of
fatty tissue is high, the agents of
decomposition are absent or only minutely present, and the burial ground is particularly alkaline.
Fire extinguishers
Fires involving
cooking fats and oils (classified as
Class K) burn hotter than other typical combustible liquids, rendering a standard class B extinguisher ineffective. Such fires should be extinguished with a
wet chemical extinguisher. Extinguishers of this type are designed to extinguish cooking fats and oils through saponification. The extinguishing agent rapidly converts the burning substance to a non-combustible soap. This process is
endothermic, meaning it absorbs energy (in this case,
thermal energy) from its surroundings, decreasing the temperature and eliminating the fire.
Further Information
Get more info on 'Saponification'.
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