Fatty acid ester prodn by glyceride transesterification - using glycerol to wash ester phase

摘要

Prodn. of fatty acid esters is effected by: (a) transesterifying fatty acid glycerides with a 1-4C n-alkanol in the presence of a basic catalyst; (b) washing the ester phase with glycerol, crude glycerol or the glycerol phase from a previous transesterification stage; (c) separating the ester phase from the glycerol phase; and (d) treating the ester phase with 1-5% (based on amt. of glyceride) of fuller's earth, silicic acid or a physicochemically similar substance. USE/ADVANTAGE - Methyl esters are useful as diesel fuels. The process gives high-quality prods. without the need for water or acid washing, without phase sepn. problems, and without the need to distil the prod., even when unrefined oils are used as starting materials.