METHOD FOR THE CHEMOENZYMATIC PRODUCTION OF FATTY ACID ESTERS

摘要

Disclosed is a method for producing fatty acid esters, in which (a) fatty acids are treated with aqueous aliphatic alcohols having a boiling point ranging between 60 and 120 °C in the presence of esterases so as to obtain a pre-esterification product, (b) water and non-reacted alcohol are separated from the pre-esterification product, (c) the pre-esterification product is subjected to a second, chemically catalyzed esterification process, the same aliphatic alcohol being added as in step (a), and (d) the separated aqueous alcohol from step (c) is reused for the enzymatic pre-esterification process in stage (a).