Vegetable oil was warmed up in a beaker. Potassium methoxide solution was added

Question

Vegetable oil was warmed up in a beaker. Potassium methoxide solution was added once the vegetable oil reached 50 degrees Celsius. The contents were allowed to separate into three phases. After 30 minutes, a layer appeared between the glycerol and biodiesel layers. Potassium hydroxide was added to remove the emulsion. The two layers (glycerol and biodiesel) were then separated.
What is the mechanism of this reaction? Vegetable oil was warmed up in a beaker. Potassium methoxide solution was added once the vegetable oil reached 50 degrees Celsius. The contents were allowed to separate into three phases. After 30 minutes, a layer appeared between the glycerol and biodiesel layers. Potassium hydroxide was added to remove the emulsion. The two layers (glycerol and biodiesel) were then separated.
What is the mechanism of this reaction?
What is the mechanism of this reaction?

Explanation / Answer

Vegetable oil is first reacted with MeOK in MeOH to form methyl ester, glycerol and potassium glyerate layers. Addition of KOH then forms methyl ester of fatty acids as the top layer along with glycerol as the lower layer.

The vegetable oil which is triglyceride is first treated with MeO- which attacks at the carbonyl center of glycerol ester to cleave C-O linkage, to form potassium glycerate and methyl ester in methanol. After the addition of KOH, the glycerol than picks up the proton from methanol to form neutral glycerol along with tri-methylester also referred to as the biodiesel.

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