Lard (pork fat): SAP value and fatty acids
Lard (pork fat) has a saponification value of 197.5 mg KOH/g. One gram needs 0.141 g of sodium hydroxide (NaOH) for bar soap or 0.198 g of potassium hydroxide (KOH) for liquid soap to turn fully into soap, before any superfat.
Key numbers
- SAP, NaOH
- 0.140794 g per g oil
- SAP, KOH
- 0.1975 g per g oil
- Saponification value
- 197.5 mg KOH/g
- Iodine value
- 60
- INS
- 138
- INCI name
- Lard
Example: 100 g of Lard (pork fat) with no superfat needs 14.1 g of 100% NaOH, or 19.8 g of 100% KOH. A 5% superfat uses 5% less.
In soap
Its main fatty acids in our cited profile are oleic (44.7%) and palmitic (24.8%). The eight fatty acids used in soap-quality scores make up 94.7% of the profile.
On its own it scores 41 for hardness, 2 for cleansing and 53 for conditioning, with a saturated : unsaturated split of 41 : 53.
Published sources for this oil differ by more than 3%, so checking your supplier's certificate of analysis matters more than usual.
Fatty-acid profile
| Fatty acid | % of fatty acids | Counts toward |
|---|---|---|
| lauric | 0% | hardness, cleansing, bubbly lather |
| myristic | 1.7% | hardness, cleansing, bubbly lather |
| palmitic | 24.8% | hardness, creamy lather |
| stearic | 14.9% | hardness, creamy lather |
| ricinoleic | 0% | conditioning, bubbly and creamy lather |
| oleic | 44.7% | conditioning |
| linoleic | 7.9% | conditioning |
| linolenic | 0.7% | conditioning |
Basis: Codex CXS 211 section 3 lard range midpoints ("<x" = x/2), normalized to 100% (raw midpoints sum to 100.8%).
Soap-quality scores (this oil alone)
| Hardness | 41 |
|---|---|
| Cleansing | 2 |
| Conditioning | 53 |
| Bubbly lather | 2 |
| Creamy lather | 40 |
| Iodine | 60 |
| INS | 138 |
Each score adds up certain fatty acids, the way Soap Ledger scores a whole recipe. They are for comparing recipes; they don't predict how a bar will feel, and they say nothing about safety or skin.
Sources
SAP value: 197.5 mg KOH/g (Codex CXS 211 range midpoint), from Codex Alimentarius CXS 211-1999, Standard for Named Animal Fats, FAO/WHO Codex Alimentarius Commission. Printed value: 192–203 mg KOH/g.
Published values we checked:
- 192–203 mg KOH/g — FAO/WHO Codex Alimentarius Commission
- 195–203 mg KOH/g — Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (Japan)
- 193 mg KOH/g — From Nature With Love (soap/cosmetic supplier)
- NaOH 0.1399 / KOH 0.197 g alkali per g oil — Certified Lye
Fatty acids and iodine: Codex Alimentarius CXS 211-1999, Standard for Named Animal Fats, FAO/WHO Codex Alimentarius Commission. Also checked: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service (Individual fatty acids (g/100 g food); read from the SR Legacy April 2018 CSV release).
NaOH and KOH values are converted from mg KOH/g with the molar masses 39.997 and 56.106 and rounded to 6 decimals, exactly as in the Soap Ledger app. Real oils vary by origin, grade and lot: check your supplier's certificate of analysis. Verify every weight before you make this, and follow lye safety. Not a safety or compliance certification.
Last updated .