Saponification Value of Shea Butter
The number soap-makers convert into lye and QC labs read as a purity check — what shea's SAP should be, how it is measured, and what a shift up or down means.
Summary
- Unit
- mg KOH/g
- Test method
- AOCS Cd 3-25 · ISO 3657
- Literature range
- 170–195 mg KOH/g
- Lye factors (SAP = 180)
- NaOH 0.128 g/g · KOH 0.180 g/g
- Low SAP suggests
- Unsaponifiable adulterants (mineral oil) or very high natural unsaps
- High SAP suggests
- Lauric fats (coconut, palm kernel)
- Control lever
- Identity (sourcing and intake screening)
What saponification value measures
Saponification is alkaline hydrolysis of ester bonds: one mole of KOH per ester bond (three per triglyceride). Shorter-chain fatty acids mean more ester bonds per gram and a higher SAP. Shea's acids are long (C18 oleic and stearic dominate) and 4–11 % of the butter is unsaponifiable, which consumes no KOH — both push SAP toward the lower end for a vegetable fat. See unsaponifiable matter.
SAP includes free fatty acids as well as esters; ester value = SAP − acid value. See free fatty acid. Saponification value counts the ester bonds in a gram of fat; because that count is fixed by composition, SAP is an identity parameter — not a freshness one.
Reference values by grade
| Grade | Valuemg KOH/g | What it usually indicates | EMI supply status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grade A | — | Saponification value reflects average fatty-acid chain length; an abnormal SAP is an identity or adulteration signal. | Confirm on the batch COA |
| Grade B | — | Saponification value reflects average fatty-acid chain length; an abnormal SAP is an identity or adulteration signal. | Confirm on the batch COA |
| Grade C | — | Saponification value reflects average fatty-acid chain length; an abnormal SAP is an identity or adulteration signal. | Confirm on the batch COA |
| Refined N-RBD | — | Saponification value reflects average fatty-acid chain length; an abnormal SAP is an identity or adulteration signal. | Confirm on the batch COA |
Identity values are grade-independent. Published ranges vary by source; read direction of shift together with refractive index and iodine value.
Grade C with 6 % FFA has essentially the same saponification value as Grade A — the acid is counted either way. Identity values are therefore grade-independent.
| Fat | SAPmg KOH/g | Shift if blended into shea |
|---|---|---|
| Shea butter | 170–195 | — |
| Cocoa butter | 188–200 | Slightly up |
| Palm oil | 190–209 | Up |
| Palm kernel oil | 230–254 | Up |
| Coconut oil | 248–265 | Up |
| Mineral oil / paraffin | ≈ 0 | Down |
Read direction of shift with refractive index and iodine value. See shea versus coconut oil and shea versus cocoa butter.
How saponification value is measured (AOCS Cd 3-25 / ISO 3657)
Weigh about 2 g of melted, filtered sample; add 25 mL 0.5 N ethanolic KOH; reflux until saponification is complete; cool; back-titrate the excess KOH with 0.5 N HCl to the phenolphthalein endpoint; run a blank the same way.
SAP (mg KOH/g) = (B − S) × N × 56.1 / W
Incomplete saponification, moisture in the ethanolic KOH, and a masked endpoint on dark samples all change the result. Duplicates typically agree within about 1 mg KOH/g. See AOCS Cd 3-25 and the COA interpreter.
Using SAP for soap: the lye factors
SAP is in mg KOH per g; soap-makers usually dose NaOH. Convert by molar mass ratio: NaOH (40.0) / KOH (56.1) = 0.713. So g NaOH per g fat = SAP / 1000 × 0.713 = SAP / 1402.5; g KOH per g fat = SAP / 1000.
g NaOH / g fat = SAP ÷ 1,402.5 · g KOH / g fat = SAP ÷ 1,000
Worked example: SAP 180 → NaOH factor 0.128; KOH factor 0.180. For 1,000 g shea butter at 0 % superfat: 128 g NaOH; at 5 % superfat: 122 g. For shea butter, grams of NaOH per gram of fat equals the saponification value divided by 1,402.5 — about 0.128 at a SAP of 180.
Using 170 versus 195 changes NaOH by about 14 % — formulate on the COA's measured SAP, not a table average. Calculate your batch with the shea saponification and lye calculator. Soap buying notes: for soap-makers.
Why SAP matters to buyers: reading a shift
A saponification value outside the shea range is an identity failure to investigate, not a quality grade to discount. SAP below the shea range means something consumed no KOH — hydrocarbons or an unusually high natural unsaponifiable fraction. SAP above the range means shorter-chain fats (coconut, palm kernel). SAP in range but RI or IV out can still be a palm- or cocoa-type substitution.
See signs of adulterated shea butter, shea versus coconut oil and shea versus cocoa butter.
Why refining cannot correct SAP
Refining removes free acids, colour, odour and peroxides; it does not remove a blended-in fat or hydrocarbon, and it does not alter the chain-length distribution that sets SAP. Neutralisation removes FFA, but free acids and their esters consume the same KOH per gram, so SAP is essentially unchanged. Screening belongs at intake for refiners as much as for unrefined buyers — see how shea butter is refined to N-RBD and refractive index: identity cannot be refined away.
How EMI Agro uses saponification value
EMI Agro states the measured saponification value on the Certificate of Analysis. Read it with refractive index and iodine value. See Certifications & Quality and the sample Certificate of Analysis.
Related parameters
Refractive index is the companion identity test. Unsaponifiable matter depresses SAP; mineral oil inflates it. Iodine value falls with lauric adulteration. Free fatty acid gives ester value = SAP − acid value.
Related pages
Shea Butter Specifications
FFA, peroxide value, moisture, refractive index, saponification value and more.
Complete Guide to Shea Butter
Master reference — grades, production, specifications, uses, sourcing, importing.
Shea Butter Grades
Grade A, B and C unrefined shea butter and refined N-RBD explained.
Refractive Index
Refractive index at 40 °C as an identity check for shea butter.
Unsaponifiable Matter
The unsaponifiable fraction that distinguishes shea from cheaper hard fats.
Iodine Value
Iodine value as an unsaturation and identity check.
Free Fatty Acid (FFA)
What FFA measures in shea butter, why it rises in kernels, and how it is tested.
Shea Saponification Lye Calculator
Convert SAP into NaOH or KOH for a soap batch.
COA Interpreter
Check whether a SAP result sits in the shea band.
Shea Butter vs Coconut Oil
Lauric fats raise saponification value.
Shea Butter vs Cocoa Butter
SAP overlaps; read with iodine value and RI.
Frequently asked questions
References & standards
- AOCS Official Method Cd 3-25 — Saponification Value of Fats and Oils — American Oil Chemists' Society
- ISO 3657 — Animal and vegetable fats and oils — Determination of saponification value — International Organization for Standardization
- Codex Alimentarius CXS 210-1999 — Standard for named vegetable oils — FAO / WHO
- Honfo, F.G. et al. (2014). Nutritional composition of shea products and chemical properties of shea butter: a review — Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition
Last reviewed September 2026 by EMI Agro Industries QC team.
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