Liquid black soap is made by boiling palm oil with liquid extract of ash. The function of the ash is to provide the ?
Answer Details
The function of the ash in liquid black soap is to provide an alkali.
Alkalis are substances that have a high pH and can neutralize acids. In the case of liquid black soap, the ash is usually made from the ashes of plant material, such as wood or plantain skins, and is a source of potassium hydroxide (KOH), a strong alkali.
When the ash is combined with the palm oil and heated, it reacts with the oils in the palm oil to form soap. The soap is formed through a process called saponification, which is the reaction between an alkali and a fat or oil to form soap and glycerol.
In this way, the ash acts as an essential ingredient in the soap-making process, providing the alkali necessary for the formation of soap.