Process for preparing fatty acid esters from pre-treated glyceride oils

Abstract

This invention provides a process for forming fatty acid esters of C1-4 alkyl alcohols by alkaline transesterification of a glyceride oil, comprising the steps of: (a) providing a glyceride oil with a free fatty acid content below 2% more preferably below 0.5 weight % expressed as oleic acid; (b) mixing said glyceride oil with at least a part of one or more alcoholic phases originating from the alkaline transesterification as referred to above; (c) separating the mixture thus formed into a heavy, alcoholic phase and a light, pre-treated fatty phase; and (d) transesterifying said pre-treated fatty phase with said C1-4 alkyl alcohols. The transesterified product can be used in biodiesel production.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.