PCT No. PCT/EP94/00834 Sec. 371 Date Sep. 25, 1995 Sec. 102(e) Date Sep. 25, 1995 PCT Filed Mar. 16, 1994 PCT Pub. No. WO94/21582 PCT Pub. Date Sep. 29, 1994A process for preparing diglycerol in high concentrations and high yields by partially reacting glycerol in the presence of an alkaline catalyst to form a reaction mixture containing from 10 to 15% by weight of diglycerol and separating the unreacted glycerol from the reaction mixture in a wiped film or short path first distillation zone at a reduced pressure of 0.5 to 5 mbar and distilling a bottoms product from the first distillation zone in a second distillation zone which is a short path distillation zone at a pressure of 0.05 to 0.3 mbar to obtain a second bottom product containing at least 90% by weight diglycerol. Diglycerol of higher purity can be obtained by recovering diglycerol as a distillate from a third distillation zone.
