Process for the production of fatty acid alkyl esters
AssigneeThe United States of America as represented by the Secretary of Agriculture
InventorsMichael J. Haas, Scott Bloomer, Karen Scott
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Abstract
A method for producing fatty acid alkyl esters from a feedstock, involving: (a) saponifying the feedstock with an alkali to form a saponified feedstock, (b) removing the water from the saponified feedstock to form a dried saponified feedstock containing no more than about 10% water, (c) esterifying the dried saponified feedstock with an alcohol in the presence of an inorganic acid catalyst to form fatty acid alkyl esters even with water present at levels up to about 3 wt %, and (d) recovering the fatty acid alkyl esters.
Claims22
A method for producing fatty acid alkyl esters from a feedstock, comprising:
- (a) saponifying the feedstock with an alkali to form a saponified feedstock,
- (b) removing the water from said saponified feedstock to form a dried saponified feedstock wherein said dried saponified feedstock contains no more than about 10% water,
- (c) esterifying said dried saponified feedstock with an alcohol and an inorganic acid catalyst to form fatty acid alkyl esters, and
- (d) recovering said fatty acid alkyl esters.
A method for producing fatty acid alkyl esters from a feedstock, consisting essentially of:
- (a) saponifying the feedstock with an alkali to form a saponified feedstock,
- (b) removing the water from said saponified feedstock to form a dried saponified feedstock wherein said dried saponified feedstock contains no more than about 10% water,
- (c) esterifying said dried saponified feedstock with an alcohol and an inorganic acid catalyst to form fatty acid alkyl esters, and
- (d) recovering said fatty acid alkyl esters.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.