CATALYTIC PURIFICATION OF FATTY ACID ALKYL ESTERS USED IN FUELS

摘要

The process of this invention removes impurities from transesterification products comprising primarily fatty acid alkyl esters (FAAE) that are being processed for final fuel products, such as biodiesel. The inventive process is catalytic, and the resulting ester is suitable for use as biodiesel. Metal oxide and mixed metal oxide catalysts are particularly suitable. The invention is particularly suitable for treating fatty acid alkyl ester compositions comprising impurities such as glycerin, sterol glycosides, and/or triglyceride, diglyceride and/or monoglyceride. The invention is particularly useful in treating FAAE transesterification products made using homogeneous alkali catalysts. The treated ester exhibits improved performance under cold weather conditions, which can be measured by methods such as ASTM 7501 Cold Soak Filtration Test (CSFT).