Continuous production process for ethyl esters (biodiesel)

The DUOBIO process comprising the use of hydrolysis to split the mono-, bi- and triglycerides of vegetable oils to produce fatty acids and glycerol by passing them through a column packed with a heterogeneous catalyst consisting essentially of calcium oxide and magnesium oxide (CaO and MgO) stones, each ⅕ the column diameter at a reaction temperature of 60 degrees centigrade and at atmospheric pressure giving yields of about 96 percent;

• the process further comprises the esterification of the free fatty acids with hydrated ethanol in a second column packed with the said heterogeneous catalyst.