Process and equipment for producing glycerol esters of fatty acids

摘要

A process for the manufacture of a glycerol ester by percolation of a fatty acid and glycidol (or deriv.) through a bed of a macro-porous anionic resin, acting as a catalyst vis-a-vis condensation of the fatty acid with the glycidol (or deriv.). The stages of the process are as follows: (a) the moist resin is distributed in a fixed bed and de-mineralised water is circulated through the bed; (b) a conditioning phase is effected by percolating the fatty acid through the bed, so as to displace and eliminate the water therein and to impregnate the resin with fatty acid and expand the bed; (c) the fatty acid and glycidol (or deriv.) are then passed through to effect the reaction in the absence of water and solvent; and (d) the glycerol ester is then recovered. Also claimed, is the installation for effecting such a procedure. <IMAGE>