Preparation and characterization of Zinc metal soap from shea butter (Vitellaria paradoxa)

Zinc metal soaps are of great importance in the manufacture of personal care products and other industrial applications. Variations in the soaps and their properties are usually due to the type of oil used in the synthesis. Shea butter (Vitellaria paradoxa), being a valuable industrial raw material, was investigated for the synthesis of zinc metal soap. Locally obtained shea butter was characterized, refined and used to synthesize metal soap of zinc which was characterized. The zinc soap produced exhibited an off-white appearance, pH of 7.8, non-foaming, and no free alkalinity present. The functional groups in the soap were confirmed by FTIR.