Determination of Alkali Content of Soap

Soap, which plays an important role in cleaning in our daily lives, is a mixture of sodium salts of various naturally occurring fatty acids. The total alkali and oily substance contents in the soap content are the characteristics that show the quality of the soap.

The chemical properties of soap depend on several factors:

- Strength and purity of alkali,
- Type of oil used,
- Completeness of saponification
- Age of soap

Such chemical properties include moisture content, total fatty acids (TFM), pH, percentage of free alkali and chloride. NaOH (sodium hydroxide) and KOH (potassium hydroxide) are alkalis used in soap production. Hand washing soaps are usually Sodium carboxylates. Potassium carboxylates, on the other hand, are milder and are used to make shaving cream and liquid soap. In quality soaps, the alkali content should be between 2-5%.

For Determination of Total Alkali Content in Soaps, please contact Nanolab Analysis Laboratory.