Method for Producing Fatty Acid Esters of Monovalent or Polyvalent Alcohols Using Special Hydroxy-Functional Quaternary Ammonium Compounds as Catalysts

A method for producing fatty acid esters of monovalent or polyvalent alcohols by means of a catalyst, comprising reacting fat and/or oil of biogenic origin with monovalent and/or polyvalent alcohols in the presence of a catalyst, wherein the catalyst is a hydroxy-functional quaternary ammonium compound of the following general formula (I):

• in which R1, R2 and R3 are equal or different and each represents an unsubstituted or substituted straight-chain or branched alkyl, alkenyl or alkynyl residue having 1 to 10 carbon atoms, an unsubstituted or substituted straight-chain or branched alkoxyalkyl or alkenyloxyalkyl residue having 2 to 10 carbon atoms, an unsubstituted or substituted cycloalkyl, cycloalkyloxy, cycloalkenyl or cycloalkenyloxy residue having 5 to 10 carbon atoms, an unsubstituted or substituted cycloalkoxyalkyl, cycloalkenyloxyalkyl or cycloalkyloxyalkenyl residue having 6 to 12 carbon atoms, an unsubstituted or substituted aryl or aryloxy residue having 5 to 10 carbon atoms, and an unsubstituted or substituted aralkyl, aralkenyl, aryloxyalkyl, aryloxyalkenyl residue having 6 to 12 carbon atoms, wherein 1 to 4 carbon atoms may be replaced by heteroatoms in all of these residues, and R is a straight-chain or branched hydroxyalkyl, hydroxyalkenyl or hydroxyalkynyl residue having 1 to 12 carbon atoms.