Alkaline Hydrolysis

Saponification of Fats and Oils

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Saponification is the chemical process of converting fats or oils into soap and glycerol. Chemically, it is the alkaline hydrolysis of an ester. When a triglyceride (the main component of oil) reacts with a strong base, the ester bonds are broken, releasing glycerol and creating the metal salts of fatty acids, which is known as … Read more

Hydrolysis of Fats and Oils

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Introduction Fats and oils (triglycerides) are the primary components of many biological and industrial processes. Hydrolysis is the reverse of the esterification process that originally formed the fat. It is the chemical breakdown of a triglyceride (fat or oil) into its building blocks: glycerol and three fatty acids through the addition of water. This reaction … Read more