Soap Lab Super Chem

triglycerides

Consist of one glycerol molecule bonded to three fatty acids

Saponification

Name of the reaction that makes soap

Saturated fatty acids

Fatty acid that is more effective at cleaning due to their straight structure which allows the molecules to pack tightly, making harder soaps with stronger cleansing power.

Unsaturated Fatty Acids 1

Fatty acid that will give a fluffy but unstable lather bc of the double bonds and their uneven structure which causes gaps and makes the molecule fluid

Unsaturated Fatty Acids

Fatty acid that tends to go rancid more easily, due to the double bonds that tend to react to carbon atoms where oxygen can evade the reactive bonds and create new bonds that produce a smell.

Potassium Hydroxide (KOH)

Used for liquid soap bc it is the component that breaks up the fat/oils into glycerin and soap

Superfatting

process of using less lye (OH^-) than needed, leaving extra oils in the soap to make it gentler and safer.

Glycerin

Product that is the same in all saponification reactions

Salting out

process used to remove extra glycerin

Safety precautions

Wear goggles when handling NaOH, which has a very high pH

Trace

the point in saponification process where the fat/oil & lye mixture have emulsified and became a thick “pudding” like texture

4 weeks

How long it takes for soap to be ready to use