Neatsfoot oil: SAP value and fatty acids
Neatsfoot oil 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
- INCI name
- Neatsfoot Oil
Example: 100 g of Neatsfoot oil 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 (60%) and palmitic (15.2%). The eight fatty acids used in soap-quality scores make up 84.7% of the profile.
On its own it scores 20 for hardness, 1 for cleansing and 64 for conditioning, with a saturated : unsaturated split of 20 : 64.
Oil rendered from cattle feet and shin bones. Reference ranges (190-203) and its fatty-acid makeup (about two-thirds oleic acid) agree on about 196-198. Commercial 'neatsfoot oil compound' for leather may be blended with mineral oil and will not saponify fully. Use pure neatsfoot oil and check the COA.
Fatty-acid profile
| Fatty acid | % of fatty acids | Counts toward |
|---|---|---|
| lauric | 0% | hardness, cleansing, bubbly lather |
| myristic | 1.2% | hardness, cleansing, bubbly lather |
| palmitic | 15.2% | hardness, creamy lather |
| stearic | 4% | hardness, creamy lather |
| ricinoleic | 0% | conditioning, bubbly and creamy lather |
| oleic | 60% | conditioning |
| linoleic | 3.7% | conditioning |
| linolenic | 0.6% | conditioning |
Basis: Correa-Cabrera, Capote & Grompone 2000 (Grasas y Aceites 51(3):137–142, doi:10.3989/gya.2000.v51.i3.469) Table II: mean of 6 commercial neatsfoot oils from Uruguay, Chile and Paraguay (samples A, Ch, B, Par, C, D). The USA sample was left out: the authors say it was probably fractionated (oleic 45.5, linoleic 18.7). Read from a scanned PDF image..
Soap-quality scores (this oil alone)
| Hardness | 20 |
|---|---|
| Cleansing | 1 |
| Conditioning | 64 |
| Bubbly lather | 1 |
| Creamy lather | 19 |
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 (Merck Index-derived 192-203 (mid 197.5) and the CAMEO range 190-203 (mid 196.5) agree with the theoretical 196.0 from a published composition. Value unchanged, but no lab paper or standard (BIS IS 4054 draft unavailable) was found.), from Neatsfoot Oil (chemical index entry; Merck Index–derived), DrugFuture Chemical Index Database. Printed value: Sapon no. 192-203 mg KOH/g.
Published values we checked:
- Sapon no. 192-203 mg KOH/g — DrugFuture Chemical Index Database
- Saponification value 190-203; iodine 69-76 mg KOH/g — Museum of Fine Arts, Boston (CAMEO)
Fatty acids: Estudio del comportamiento térmico y de la composición de aceites para el curtido de cueros (Study of thermal behaviour and composition of oils for leather tanning), Grasas y Aceites (CSIC), open access. Also checked: DrugFuture Chemical Index Database (Properties).
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 .