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Alcoholysis, saponification and the preparation of fatty acid methyl esters
Author(s) -
Glass R. L.
Publication year - 1971
Publication title -
lipids
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.601
H-Index - 120
eISSN - 1558-9307
pISSN - 0024-4201
DOI - 10.1007/bf02531175
Subject(s) - saponification , sodium methoxide , chemistry , methoxide , fatty acid methyl ester , organic chemistry , sodium hydroxide , alkoxide , fatty acid , lipidology , hydroxide , methanol , catalysis , biodiesel
Evidence is offered to support the contention that methanolysis precedes the saponification of esters in methanolic solutions of sodium hydroxide. This results from the hydroxide‐alkoxide equilibrium which greatly favors methoxide formation even in the presence of rather considerable amounts of water. Saponification‐reesterification methods of methyl ester formation are shown to be actually extensions of methanolysis procedures. A simplified method is proposed for the preparation of fatty acid methyl esters.