USES

• WHAT ARE THE MAIN USES OF ESTERS?

  animal/ vegetable oils and fats are triesters of glycerol
• WHAT IS GLYCEROL?

  an alcohol (propane-1,2,3-triol)
• WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BEWTEEN OILS AND FATS?

  oils are liquid at room temperature, whereas fats are solid at room temperature
• WHAT ARE OILS AND FATS KNOWN AS?

  triglycerides
• WHAT IS A TRIGLYCERIDE?

  glycerol and three fatty acids
• HOW CAN TRIGLYCERIDES BE HYDROLYSED?

  • acid conditions
  • boiling with NaOH
• WHAT IS PRODUCED WHEN TRIGLYCERIDES ARE HYDROLYSED IN ACID CONDITIONS?

  mixture of glycerol and the component fatty acids
• WHAT IS PRODUCED WHEN TRIGLYCERIDES ARE HYDROLYSED BY BOILING WITH NaOH?

  glycerol and a mixture of sodium salts (of the three fatty acids)
• WHAT ARE SODIUM SALTS USED AS?

  soaps/ cleaning agents
• GENERAL FORMULA FOR A SODIUM SALT?

  Na+COO-R
• CHARACTERISTICS OF SODIUM SALTS THAT ALLOW THEM TO WORK AS CLEANING AGENTS?

  • ionic
  • dissociate to form Na+ and RCOO-
  • R is non-polar and can therefore mix with grease
  • COO- is polar and can therefore mix with water
  • allow grease and water to mix