Triacylglycerol + 3 NaOH → Glycerol + 3 Soap
More specifically:
**R-COO-CH2
R-COO-CH
R-COO-CH2 (Triacylglycerol) + 3 NaOH → HO-CH2
HO-CH
HO-CH2 (Glycerol) + 3 R-COONa** (Soap)
Where:
* R represents the hydrocarbon chain of the fatty acid.
* NaOH is sodium hydroxide (lye).
* R-COONa is the sodium salt of the fatty acid, which is the soap.
Explanation:
The reaction involves the hydrolysis of the triacylglycerol (fat or oil) by sodium hydroxide (lye) in a process called saponification. The strong base, NaOH, breaks the ester bonds in the triacylglycerol, releasing the fatty acids as their sodium salts (soaps) and glycerol as a byproduct.
Note:
This is a simplified representation. In reality, natural fats and oils contain a mixture of different fatty acids, resulting in a mixture of soaps. The process also often involves heating and stirring to ensure complete saponification.
