Simultaneous synthesis and purification of a fatty acid monoester biodiesel fuel

A process for simultaneously synthesizing and purifying a fatty acid monoester comprising,

• in a simulated moving bed apparatus comprising a plurality of column segments sequentially connected in series and containing a catalytic chromatographic bed material comprising a first basic ion exchange resin catalyst, simultaneously continuously:
• a. feeding an acylglycerol feedstock into the apparatus at a feed port position to contact the chromatographic bed material at a column segment in a first zone;
• b. feeding a second liquid catalyst comprising sodium hydroxide in a concentration range of 0.005% to 0.5% by weight relative to a monohydric alcohol, and a monohydric alcohol eluent reactant into the apparatus at an eluent port position to contact the chromatographic bed material at a column segment in a second zone;
• c. flowing the monohydric alcohol eluent reactant in a first direction toward the first zone to contact the acylglycerol feedstock and moving the plurality of column segments in a second direction opposite the first direction;
• d. removing a first effluent enriched in the fatty acid monoester from a product port positioned within the first zone and downstream of the feed port position with respect to the first direction;
• and
• e. removing a second effluent enriched in glycerol from a raffinate port position in the second zone upstream of the feed port with respect to the first direction.