Skip to content
EMI Agro Industries logo
Agro IndustriesShea Butter Manufacturer, Nigeria
Glossary

Saponification Value

Also written as: SAP value, saponification number, SV

Summary

Saponification value is the milligrams of potassium hydroxide (KOH) needed to saponify one gram of fat, so it reflects the average chain length of the fatty acids present. A value outside the expected range for shea is an identity or adulteration signal.

Soap makers convert saponification value to a lye quantity using the shea butter lye calculator. Buyers use it with refractive index and iodine value as a three-point identity check; blending with cheaper fats or mineral oil moves it. The usual method is AOCS Cd 3-25.

Iodine Value

Iodine value (IV) is the grams of iodine absorbed by 100 grams of fat

Refractive Index

Refractive index (RI) is the ratio of the speed of light in a vacuum to its speed in a sub…

Unsaponifiable Matter

Unsaponifiable matter is the fraction of a fat that does not form soap when boiled with al…

Neutralisation

Neutralisation is the refining step in which free fatty acids in crude fat react with an a…

Full explainer: Saponification Value

Saponification value as a chain-length and identity parameter.

Part of the shea butter glossary · Complete guide to shea butter

Last reviewed September 2026 by EMI Agro Industries QC team.