Soap is one of the most common household chemicals because it comes in many forms and can be found in pretty much any room in the house where we use water. Today we purchase soap products instead of making them at home because the process can be time-consuming, and the results can vary widely based on recipe and ingredients.
One of the key ingredients manufacturers use to make soap sustainable and biodegradable is methyl ester, a chemical that can be derived from plant and animal sources. In addition to its green properties, methyl esters are gentle on skin, which makes them ideal for use in household products.
CREMER North America supplies soap makers and personal care product manufacturers with high quality methyl esters and other soap ingredients in addition to providing contract manufacturing, logistics, and transloading support.
Methyl esters are a common fatty acid. They are usually referred to as FAME (fatty acid methyl esters) compounds, and they have excellent solubility and lubricity, meaning that they mix well with other chemicals and add that slippery-feeling that makes soap work. These qualities allow them to increase the effectiveness of cleaning products, including shampoo and soap.
The esters are derived from natural sources like vegetable oils and animal fats, which are then heated with an alkali, specifically sodium hydroxide in this case. The compounds are then hydrolyzed to form a sodium salt of the carboxylic acid, which can then be used to make the soap products we’re all familiar with.
FAME can come from several natural sources.
Typically, the compounds can be extracted from vegetable oils, animal fats, or unused cooking oils by a process called transesterification. In this method, glycerides and alcohols react to form fatty acids. The esters are extracted from these acids before they are prepared for use in many different products.
Soap and cleaning products of all types use methyl soyate because of its versatility and strength. This soybean-based compound is a sustainable alternative ingredient for degreasers, ink removal, oil spill remediation and other industrial cleaning products.
But refined methyl soyate can be gentle enough for personal care products. CREMER’s ME-S1885 is a distilled methyl soyate that has been purified into a colorless and odorless liquid. Distilled methyl soyate has low solubility and a high flash point, making it low hazard and safe for several applications – including soap and shampoo.
Visit our Methyl Esters page to learn more information, see spec sheets, and its practical uses in everyday products.