SAPONIFICATION DEFINED.
When a fat or oil enters into chemical combination with one of the caustic hydrates in the presence of water, the process is called "saponification" and the new compounds formed are soap and glycerine, thus:
| OR | OH | |||
| C3H5 | OR | + 3 NaOH = C3H5 | OH | + 3 NaOR |
| OR | OH |
Fat or Oil plus 3 Sodium Hydrate equals Glycerine plus 3 Soap.
It is by this reaction almost all of the soap used today is made.
There are also other means of saponification, as, the hydrolysis of an oil or fat by the action of hydrochloric or sulfuric acid, by autoclave and by ferments or enzymes. By these latter processes the fatty acids and glycerine are obtained directly, no soap being formed.