Abstract: Alkali metal methoxides are prepared from aqueous alkali metal hydroxide, which may have been admixed with methanol, and methanol in a reaction column having at least 5, preferably from 15 to 30, theoretical plates between the feed point for the aqueous alkali metal hydroxide and the feed point for the methanol. The gaseous methanol/water mixture formed in the reaction is fractionated in a rectification column. In one variant of the invention, the trays chosen for the reaction column configured as a bubble cap tray, valve tray or sieve tray column are trays in which not more than 5%, preferably <1%, of the liquid rains through the respective trays. In another variant of the process of the present invention, the double-wall reaction column has a temperature in the double wall which is from 3 to 10° C.

Abstract: Alkali metal methoxides are prepared from aqueous alkali metal hydroxide, which may have been admixed with methanol, and methanol in a reaction column having at least 5, preferably from 15 to 30, theoretical plates between the feed point for the aqueous alkali metal hydroxide and the feed point for the methanol. The gaseous methanol/water mixture formed in the reaction is fractionated in a rectification column.