REICHERT-MEISSL NUMBER 



N 



20 1 



filter, and 100 c.c. titrated with — caustic-soda solution, 



10 ' 



using phenolphthalein as indicator. 



By adding one-tenth to the number of c.c. of caustic 



soda employed the amount that would have been 



required for the whole distillate is obtained. This 



value is known as the Reichert-Meissl number. 



Fig. 28.- 



-Apparatus for determining the Reichert-Meissl 

 value of fats. 



A complete determination of the Reichert-Meissl 

 number, as described above, should also be carried out, 

 for the sake of comparison, with 5 grams of margarine. 



The time of distillation, the volume of liquid collected, etc., are 

 purely arbitrary figures, but the directions should be exactly 

 followed out in order that comparable numbers may be obtained. 

 In the original Reichert-Meissl process, alcoholic potash was 

 employed for the hydrolysis in place of aqueous soda and 

 glycerine. 



The Reichert-Meissl number for pure butter-fat is generally 

 between 24 and 34, but may in exceptional cases fall as low as 19. 



