Method for the esterification of a fatty acid

A method for the esterification of a fatty acid F in a column with at least one multi-part packing having a catalyst in at least an upper part to define a catalytic reaction zone, a head at an upper end and a sump at an opposite end, said method comprising the steps of

• feeding a fatty acid and an alcohol mixture into the catalytic reaction zone;
• effecting an esterification of the fatty acid and alcohol mixture in the catalytic reaction zone by a heterogeneous catalysis;
• producing an alcohol-rich stripping gas in the sump by vaporisation,
• passing the alcohol-rich stripping gas in counter-flow through the catalytic reaction zone to strip water from the reaction zone;
• at least partially liquefying the water-loaded gas at the head of the column to form a liquefied head product;
• separating the liquefied head product into a water-rich fraction and an alcohol-rich fraction;
• and
• returning the alcohol-rich fraction from the head of the column to the catalytic reaction zone as a starting material for the esterification step and to the sump for the production of the stripping gas.