PROCESS FOR PRODUCTION OF FATTY ACID ESTERS

摘要

A process for producing C1-C4 alkyl esters of fatty acids comprising the steps of: (a) reacting glycerine with a glyceride mixture containing levels of free fatty acids which inhibit trans-esterification with alkaline catalysts until the level of free fatty acids is reduced sufficiently to enable the use of an alkaline trans-esterification catalyst; (b) reacting the mixture resulting from step (a) with one or more alkaline trans-esterification catalysts and one or more C1-C4 alcohols until a mixture of one or more C1-C4 alkyl esters of fatty acids and crude glycerine forms; (c) recovering the one or more C1-C4 alkyl esters of fatty acids; and (d) recovering the crude glycerine, wherein at least a portion of the crude glycerine recovered in step (d) is used in step (a) of a subsequent process.