Gas chromatographic analysis of free fatty acids and glycerides of milk fat using tetramethylammonium hydroxide as catalyste

Summary Tetramethylammonium hydroxide in methanol has been proposed as a catalyst for preparing methyl esters of both free fatty acids and glycerides of fats. Nevertheless, procedures normally recognized as suitable can be inadequate when the fat under study contains noticeable amounts of low relative molecular mass esters. The method using tetramethylammonium hydroxide has been examined and modified in order to analyze milk fats by capillary GC. The pyrolysis methylation of free fatty acids in capillary injectors has been also studied. The modified method was satisfactory for both neutral and acid milk fats.