Saponification
The alkaline hydrolysis of an ester, particularly a triglyceride, to give a carboxylate salt and an alcohol.
Formula / equation
RCOOR′ + NaOH → RCOONa + R′OH
Unit
Dimensionless
In depth
Unlike acid hydrolysis, saponification is irreversible because the carboxylate salt formed cannot be attacked by the alcohol. Applied to fats and oils it yields soap and glycerol, and the amount of base consumed per gram of fat, the saponification value, indicates average chain length.
Examples in the real world
Boiling animal fat with sodium hydroxide to produce soap and glycerol — the traditional soap-making process.