Hello all,

 

Well, I've been making soap in the lab using olive oil, NaOH and ethanol. I was just curious, what is the purpose of the ethanol in the experiment if the reaction is between mainly olive oil and NaOH is involved during the saponification process?

 

Cheers.

Maybe as a bonding chemical???? I'm as lost as you

I believe it is because olive oil is an organic compound and NaOH is inorganic - the two wont react readily without a solvent, just like motor oil and water will form two distinct layers. Ethanol (CH3-CH2-OH) is a solvent and is classed as an organic, but the hydroxy end is polar, meaning that it is able to form polar bonds with water molecules and thus can be dissolved into it and interact with both NaOH and olive oil, since it also contains a carbon group.

I personaly have NEVER used ethanol in any homemade soaps other than towards the end when scent is added in the form of essential oils or alc based extracts.

 

although some of the soap making sites do advocate it`s use in a recipe, the majority don`t, and I`ve never heard of an explaination as to why either? I`m as stumped as you on this one!

making soap looks a lot like making bio diesel,

lol. crasy.