FATTY ACID LOWER ALKYL ESTER PRODUCTION PROCESS Russian patent published in 2006 - IPC C07C67/03 C07C69/24 C07C69/52 

FIELD: industrial organic synthesis.

SUBSTANCE: invention, in particular, relates to production of fatty acid alkyl esters via catalytic reesterification of triglycerides/fatty acids mixture. During this reaction, ester phase containing fatty acid alkyl esters and glycerol phase containing fatty acids are formed in reaction mixture. Phases are separated from each other. Fatty acids are isolated from glycerol phase in the form of fatty acid phase. The latter is further combined with triglycerides/fatty acids mixture and fatty acids contained in resulting mixture in amount about 10% are esterified with alcohol to produce esterification mixture containing triglycerides and fatty acid alkyl esters. This mixture is then subjected to reesterification with alcohol to produce additional amount of fatty acid alkyl esters. Esterification is effected in presence of acid catalysts and reesterification in presence of alkali catalysts.

EFFECT: improved economic characteristics of process due to recovery of additional amount of desired product.

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