The reactions for making both soap and biodiesel use the same reagents (an oil/f

Question

The reactions for making both soap and biodiesel use the same reagents (an oil/fat, an alcohol, and a hydroxide base). The reaction can be modified to favor the production of one product over the other. For each condition below, select whether it will favor soap production, biodiesel production, or if it will not influence which product results from the reaction.

Heating the reaction mixture slowly to avoid boiling off the alcohol

Heating the reaction mixture strongly to increase the reaction rate

Adding a large amount of sodium hydroxide relative to other reagents

Using a liquid fat instead of a solid fat

Adding a small amount of sodium hydroxide relative to other reagents

Using a solid fat instead of a liquid fat

Explanation / Answer

The production of soap and biodiesel use of an oil/fat, an alcohol, and a sodium hydroxide base have been made. Fats & oils are the esters of higher fatty acids with glycerol..It gets hydrolysed in presence of sodium hydroxide to form glycerol & higher fatty acids separate out in the form of sodium salt.

Reaction :

CH2OCOR CH2OH

l Hydrolysis l

CHOCOR + 3 NaOH ---------------->   CHOH + 3 RCOONa

l l Soap : Na salt of higher fatty acids   

CH2OCOR    CH2OH

Glycerol

The equilibrium is shifted to right hand side by using excess of the base relative to other reagents . Therefore the rate of the production will increase.

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