What is the specific purpose of using potassium hydroxide during the s

What is the specific purpose of using potassium hydroxide during the saponification process ?

To obtain soaps which are hard on the skin

To obtain soaps which are soft on the skin

To obtain natural fragrance

To make the saponification very economical

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Answer is Wrong!

This question was previously asked in

UPSC NDA-1 – 2023

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Saponification is the process of hydrolyzing fats or oils using an alkali (strong base) to produce soap and glycerol. The type of alkali used influences the properties of the resulting soap. Sodium hydroxide (NaOH) typically yields hard soaps, suitable for bar soap. Potassium hydroxide (KOH) typically yields soft or liquid soaps, often used in liquid hand soap, shaving cream, or soft paste soaps. Therefore, potassium hydroxide is used to obtain soaps which are soft on the skin or in liquid form.

– Saponification uses a strong base to hydrolyze fats/oils.
– NaOH produces hard soaps.
– KOH produces soft or liquid soaps.
– The softness of the soap is desirable for certain applications like liquid soaps or those used on the skin.

Natural fragrances are added separately to the soap formulation and are not a result of using KOH specifically. While the cost of NaOH vs KOH can be a factor in manufacturing, the primary reason for choosing KOH is to achieve a softer soap consistency.

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