Saponification value

Saponification reaction of a triglyceride
Example of saponification reaction of a triglyceride molecule (left) with potassium hydroxide (KOH) yielding glycerol (purple) and salts of fatty acids (soap).

Saponification value or saponification number (SV or SN) represents the number of milligrams of potassium hydroxide (KOH) or sodium hydroxide (NaOH) required to saponify one gram of fat under the conditions specified.[1][2][3] It is a measure of the average molecular weight (or chain length) of all the fatty acids present in the sample in form of triglycerides. The higher the saponification value, the lower the fatty acids average length, the lighter the mean molecular weight of triglycerides and vice versa. Practically, fats or oils with high saponification value (such as coconut and palm oil) are more suitable for soap making.

  1. ^ "Saponification Value of Fats and Oils". Retrieved January 18, 2018.
  2. ^ "Saponification value of Fat and Oil" (PDF). kyoto-kem.com. Retrieved July 8, 2016.
  3. ^ Klaus Schumann; Kurt Siekmann (2005). "Soaps". Ullmann's Encyclopedia of Industrial Chemistry. Weinheim: Wiley-VCH. pp. a24_247. doi:10.1002/14356007.a24_247. ISBN 3-527-30673-0.