The fractionation of milk fat from a solvent at low temperatures

Summary A procedure for fractionating milk fat from a solvent at low temperatures has been developed. This procedure consists of freezing out fractions of the fat from solvent (Skelly Solve A) at progressively lower temperatures —7°, —13°, —23°, —53°C., with the remaining filtrate taken as a final fraction. In physical appearance these fractions vary from a dry white powder to a reddish-yellow oil; in melting point from 53°C. to —10.6°C.; in iodine number from 8.29 to 58.37; and in saponification equivalent from 262.8 to 235.2. The saponification equivalents do not change in the same order as the other properties mentioned. This fat fractionation effects a simplification of milk fat and makes available less complex portions of the natural glyceride mixtures for detailed study of the composition, configuration, and other properties. Some of these studies are now being carried out and will be reported later.