Preparation of Milk Fat Methyl Esters by Alcoholysis in an Essentially Nonalcoholic Solution

Treatment of 19 vol of 10% solution of milk fat in petroleum ether with 1 vol of either 2 N methanolic potassium hydroxide or sodium methoxide at room temperature results in the almost instantaneous formation of methyl esters from glyeeride fatty acids. The solution may be analyzed by gas chromatography at once.