PROCESS FOR PRODUCTION OF FATTY ACID ESTER COMPOSITIONS

摘要

The invention aims at providing a process for producing a fatty acid ester composition having a total glycerin content (Gs) meeting the biodiesel fuel standards under relatively mild reaction conditions in a shorter time in a high yield; and equipment for the production of the composition. The aim is attained by a process for producing a fatty acid ester composition by reacting fats and oils with an alcohol which is characterized by comprising the first step of reacting fats and oils containing fatty acid glycerides with water in a subcritical or supercritical state to form fatty acids, the dehydration step of removing water nearly completely from the reaction mixture obtained in the first step, and the second step of adding an alcohol to the residue obtained in the dehydration step and reacting the alcohol with the residue in a subcritical or supercritical state to form fatty acid esters.