If one mixes up ashes with animal fat, the substance received in the crude form is called

Mixing ashes with animal fat produces soap through a chemical process known as saponification. Historically, wood ashes were used to leach out 'lye' or potash, which contains potassium carbonate. When this alkaline solution is combined with animal fats (tallow), the fatty acids react with the alkali to form potassium salts of long-chain carboxylic acids, which is the chemical definition of soap [1]. This traditional method typically results in a 'crude soap' or soft potash soap rather than the hard bars produced by modern sodium hydroxide [1]. The reaction also releases glycerol as a byproduct. While modern industrial processes use purified chemicals, the fundamental chemistry remains the same: the interaction between a base (from ashes) and an ester (from fat) to create a cleansing agent [1].

Sources

1. [1] Science , class X (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 4: Carbon and its Compounds > CH COOH CH CH OH CH C C CH CH H O 3 3 2 3 2 3 2 Acid O (E - + - - - - - + thanoic acid) (Ethanol) (Ester) O > p. 73