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I read a technical German book that refers to "ölsaurem Alkali" which apparently means "oleic acid alkali". How could it be both an acid and an alkali?

Shaka Boom
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1 Answers1

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They were writing it fancy in old times. Sodium acetate would have been "essigsaures Natrium", potassium sulfate "schwefelsaures Kalium" and so on.

Therefor, "ölsaures Alkali" is an alkali salt of oleic acid (Ölsäure).