1) Prepared by HYDROLYSING FATS OR

OILS under alkaline condition

2) NEUTRALISATION of fatty acids and

concentrated alkali

1) Boiling fats or oils with concentrated

sodium hydroxide solution or

concentrated potassium hydroxide

solution

 

Alkali act as catalysts

Hydrolysis

Ester + Water fatty acid

+ glycerol

Fatty acid + sodium hydroxide ( alkali )

Sodium salt of fatty acid (soap) + water

2) Neutralisation of fatty acids

and concentrated alkali

• Aim :

To prepare soap through the saponification process.

• Material :

Palm oil , 5 mol concentrated sodium hydroxide

solution , sodium chloride powder , red litmus

paper and distilled water.

• Apparatus :

250 beaker , glass rod , tripod stand , wire gauze ,

Bunsen burner , spatula , 10 and 100 measuring

cylinder , filter funnel , filter paper and test tube

• Procedure :

1)Approximately 5 of palm oil is poured into the beaker.

2)Approximately 30 of concentrated sodium hydroxide solution is added into

the same beaker.

3)The mixture is then boiled slowly while being stirred with a glass rod for 10

minutes. The mixture is prevented from bubbling.

4)50 distilled water and two spatulas of sodium chloride are added.

5)The mixture is boiled and stirred for s few minutes.

6)The mixture in the beaker is left to cool down and the resulting white solid is

filtered.

7)The white solid that is produced is washed with a little distilled water and

dried with filter paper.

8)The following test are carried out on the white solid :

a. Touched with fingers

b. Some of the white solid is shaken together with some water in a

test tube

c. Tested with red litmus paper

9) The observation are recorded in the table provided.