Saponification Values in Soap Making
SAP values are the numeric values that allow you to calculate the precise amount of sodium hydroxide (NaOH) or potassium hydroxide (KOH) required to fully saponify a given weight of oil/s.
As well as On-Line calculators, a very simple way to calculate how much is required is to use a simple 'multiplication factor' given in the Saponification Charts just below for most popular oils, butters and waxes.
These can be used in either grams or ounces. To convert ounces into grams for any reason simply multiply by 28.35.
Water is not a precise measurement. When calculating the amount of water to use in a soap recipe work on approximately 30-35% of the total weight of other ingredients used. i.e. 4lb (1816g) of oils and 8.2oz (233g) sodium hydroxide will require approximately 1lb 8oz (680g) of water.
Saponification Chart (sodium hydroxide, NaOH)
To use this simple chart, just multiply the weight of each oil (in either Grams or Ounces) by the value for that oil in the table below. This will give the amount of Sodium Hydroxide required to fully saponify that amount of that particular oil (in Grams or Ounces). Soap Making is a very precise science, so you should always work in one or other factor of measurement if possible. If for any reason you need to convert ounces into grams, simply multiply by 28.35 for a fairly accurate result.
For combinations of oils, each oil should be calculated separately and then the figures added together to give the overall figure for the combination.
In all home soap making, to ensure safety and avoid 'free caustic alkali' in your soap you should Superfat your recipe. A minimum superfatting percentage generally considered appropriate is 5%. Therefore, after calculating your required sodium hydroxide you should discount this by 5% minimum.
| Almond (Sweet): 0.136 Apricot kernel: 0.135 Arachis: 0.136 Avocado: 0.133 Babassu: 0.175 Beef Tallow: 0.1405 Borage Oil: 0.136 Brazil Nut Oil: 0.175 Butterfat (cow): 0.1619 Butterfat (goat): 0.1672 Camelia oil: 0.136 Castor: 0.1286 Chicken fat: 0.1389 Chinese Bean: 0.135 Cocoa Butter: 0.137 Coconut (refined): 0.190 Coconut (virgin): 0.1946 Cod Liver Oil: 0.1326 Coffee Seed Oil: 0.130 Colza: 0.124 Corn (Maize): 0.136 Cottonseed: 0.1386 Deer Tallow: 0.1379 Earthnut: 0.136 | Emu oil: 0.135 Evening Primrose: 0.136 Flaxseed: 0.1357 Gigely Tree: 0.133 Goat Tallow: 0.1383 Goose Fat: 0.1369 Grapeseed: 0.1265 Grapefruit Seed Oil: 0.123-0.135 Hazelnut: 0.1356 Hemp Seed: 0.1345 Herring Oil: 0.136 Illippe Butter 0.136 Jojoba: 0.069 Kapok: 0.137 Katchung: 0.136 Kokum Butter 0.134 Kukui Nut: 0.135 Lard: 0.138 Linseed: 0.1357 Loccu: 0.134 Macadamia Nut: 0.139 Mango Butter: 0.135 Mink Oil: 0.140 Moringa 0.136 | Mustard Seed Oil: 0.1241 Myrtle oil: 0.069 Neat's Foot Oil: 0.1359 Neem: 0.1387 Niger Seed Oil: 0.1355 Nutmeg Butter: 0.116 Olive Oil: 0.134 Olive Butter: 0.185 Palm Kernel: 0.156 Palm: 0.141 Peanut: 0.136 Perilla: 0.1369 Pistachio Oil: 0.135 Poppy Seed Oil: 0.1383 Pork Tallow: 0.138 Pumpkin Seed: 0.1331 Ramic: 0.124 Rape Seed (Canola): 0.124 Rice Bran: 0.128 Ricinus: 0.1286 Safflower: 0.136 Sardine Oil: 0.135 Sesame Seed: 0.133 Sunflower: 0.134 | Shea (Karite) Butter: 0.128 Sheeps Tallow: 0.1383 Soybean: 0.135 Sunflower: 0.134 Tung: 0.1377 Vegetable Shortening (hydrogenated mixed vegetable oils): 0.136 Venison Fat: 0.139 Walnut: 0.1353 Wheatgerm: 0.131 Waxes... Beeswax: 0.069 Carnauba Wax: 0.069 Lanolin: 0.0741 |
Saponification Chart (potassium hydroxide, KOH)
To use this simple chart, just multiply the weight of each oil (in either Grams or Ounces) by the value for that oil in the table below. This will give the amount of Potassium Hydroxide required to fully saponify that amount of that particular oil (in Grams or Ounces). Soap Making is a very precise science, so you should always work in one or other factor of measurement if possible. If for any reason you need to convert ounces into grams, simply multiply by 28.35 for a fairly accurate result.
For combinations of oils, each oil should be calculated separately and then the figures added together to give the overall figure for the combination.
In all home soap making, to ensure safety and avoid 'free caustic alkali' in your soap you should Superfat your recipe. A minimum superfatting percentage generally considered appropriate is 5%. Therefore, after calculating your required sodium hydroxide you should discount this by 5% minimum.
| Almond (Sweet): 0.1925 Apricot kernel: 0.1941 Avocado: 0.1886 Babassu: 0.2463 Beef Tallow: 0.1999 Borage Oil: 0.1886 Castor: 0.1811 Chicken fat: 0.1910 Cocoa Butter: 0.1941 Coconut (refined): 0.2690 Corn (Maize): 0.1927 Cottonseed: 0.1954 Deer Tallow: 0.1946 Emu oil: 0.1939 | Evening Primrose: 0.1918 Flaxseed: 0.1913 Goat Tallow: 0.1946 Goose Fat: 0.1900 Grapeseed: 0.1861 Hazelnut: 0.1928 Hemp Seed: 0.1914 Jojoba: 0.0979 Kukui Nut: 0.1903 Lard: 0.1970 Linseed: 0.1913 Macadamia Nut: 0.1959 Mink Oil: 0.1976 Mustard Seed Oil: 0.1720 | Neem: 0.1932 Niger Seed Oil: 0.1890 Olive Oil: 0.1906 Olive Butter: 0.1880 Palm Kernel: 0.2503 Palm: 0.2000 Peanut: 0.1925 Poppy Seed Oil: 0.1960 Pork Tallow: 0.1946 Pumpkin Seed: 0.1956 Rape Seed (Canola): 0.1870 Rice Bran: 0.1808 Safflower: 0.1928 Sesame Seed: 0.1882 | Shea (Karite) Butter: 0.1825 Sheeps Tallow: 0.1949 Soybean: 0.1914 Sunflower: 0.1903 Venison Fat: 0.1946 Walnut: 0.1900 Wheatgerm: 0.1858 Waxes... Beeswax: 0.0970 Carnauba Wax: 0.087 Lanolin: 0.1054 |
SAP Values of popular soap making oils
Below, for the traditionalist, we also list the traditional SAP values for a number of popular soap making oils together with the mathematics of how to use them.| Almond (sweet): 192.5 Apricot Kernel: 190.0 Avocado: 187.5 Babassu: 247.0 Beef Tallow: 197.0 Borage: 188.0 Calendula: 190.0 Castor: 180.3 Cocoa Butter: 193.8 Coconut: 268.0 Corn: 192.0 | Evening Primrose: 191.0 Hazelnut: 195.0 Hemp Seed: 192.8 Illippe Butter 188-200 Jojoba: 97.5 Kokum Butter 187-193 Kukui Nut: 190.0 Lard: 194.6 Macadamia Nut: 195.0 Moringa 193.2 Neem: 194.5 | Olive: 189.7 Palm Kernel: 219.9 Palm: 199.1 Peanut: 192.1 Pumpkin Seed: 193.0 Rapeseed: 174.7 Rosehip Seed: 193.0 Safflower: 192.0 Sesame Seed: 187.9 Shea Butter: 180.0 Soybean: 190.6 | Sunflower Seed: 188.7 Wheatgerm: 185.0 Waxes Beeswax: 88-100 Lanolin: 82-130 Lecithin: 110-140 |
HOW TO USE
To calculate the SAP value for a combination of oils first you need to calculate what percentage of the whole mixture of oils each oil makes up. For example. A mixture of oils consisting of 2 Lb Olive Oil: 1Lb 4oz Coconut Oil: 12oz Palm Oil will be: 50%Olive Oil: 31.25% Coconut Oil: 18.75% Palm Oil. Representing all the oils as 1, each percentage then becomes: 0.5: 0.3125: 0.1875
Next you multiply each figure by the Value in the table for each oil and add them all together. This will be:
0.5 (189.7) + 0.3125 (268) + 0.1875 (199.1) = 215.93 and divide by 1000 = 0.21593
Next, multiply the total 4Lb of oils by this figure:
4Lb x 0.21593 = 0.86Lb of (potassium) hydroxide.
Because SAP values pre-date our use of sodium hydroxide in soapmaking we have to make an adjustment. SAP values are for using potassuim hydroxide. To convert simply multiply the figure by 40/56.1:
0.86 x 40/56.1 = 0.61Lb
To convert into Ounces, multiply by 16: 0.61 x 16 = 9.76oz
Finally, as most of us work in grams these days, convert this figure by multiplying by 28.35:
9.76 x 28.35 = 276 grams
Therefore, to produce a fully saponified soap using 2Lb Olive Oil: 1Lb 4oz Coconut Oil and 12oz of Palm Oil you will need 276 grams of Sodium Hydroxide.
To superfat your soap, simply discount this figure. As a guide, between 5 and 10% discount will produce a very good superfatted soap, i.e. 250g will be a satisfactory amount of sodium hydroxide to achieve a good superfatted soap formula.
Water is not a precise measurement. When calculating the amount of water to use in a soap recipe work on approximately 30-35% of the total weight of other ingredients used. i.e. 4lb (1816g) of oils and 8.2oz (233g) sodium hydroxide will require approximately 1lb 8oz (680g) of water.
