Saponification+Reactions

__**Saponification Reactions - KB**__ One organic chemical reaction known to ancient man was a **saponification reaction.** These reactions involve the hydrolisis of an ester, such as fats or oils, in a strong base. One of the products of a **saponification reaction** is soap, and, therefore it is easy to understand why they are called saponification reactions. These reactions are called saponification reactions because **saponification** is a term that comes from the Latin word for soap (//sapon//).

__**The Process**__ When soap is made during a **saponification reaction**, animal fat or vegetable oil is boiled in a strong base, such as NaOH. The produced soap is made up of a mixture of sodium salts of long-chain carboxylic acids, also known as fatty acids, which are formed during the saponification reaction. An alcohol is also produced during the reaction.





__**Other uses for saponification**__


 * Fire Extinguishers:** Saponification can be used to help extinguish fires. Fires that involve fats or oils have to use a type of extinguisher that harnesses the power of saponification reactions. These fire extinguishers use wet chemicals to put out grease, oil, and fat fires. Saponification works well with these types of extinguishers, because when the extinguishing chemical hits the fats or oils, a saponification reaction occurs that converts the burning substance into a non-combustible soap, thus putting the fire out (this process is endothermic and absorbs heat, which helps to eliminate the fire).

__**Sources:**__ Our Book : __Chemistry, The Central Science: 9th ed.__ by Brown, LeMay, and Bursten. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/saponification http://chemistry.about.com/library/weekly/blsapon.htm (image) [|http://www.osha.gov/SLTC/etools/evacuation/images/wet_chemical.jpg] (image)