METHOD FOR PRODUCING LINEAR OR BRANCHED FATTY ACID ESTERS BY MEANS OF HETEROGENEOUSLY CATALYSED REACTIVE RECTIFICATION WITH AN UPSTREAM REACTOR

摘要

The invention relates to a method for the continuous esterification of C1-C22 (fatty) acids with C1-C10 monoalcohols, C2-C5 dialkanols or trialkanols, or mixtures thereof, in the liquid phase, according to the counterflow method, in the presence of heterogeneous catalysts in the upstream reactor (1) and in the reaction column (3). Said method is characterised in that an upstream reactor (1) and a separating unit (2) are mounted upstream of the reaction column (3), in order to reduce the viscosity of the reaction mixture, and the reaction water (3) is extracted from the system by means of the separation unit (2), in order to shift the chemical balance upstream of the reaction column (3).