Methods for producing alkyl esters
AssigneeSunho Biodiesel Corporation
InventorChih-Chung Chou
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Abstract
This invention relates to a method for producing an alkyl ester via a transesterification or esterification reaction. The method includes (1) mixing an oil source containing a triglyceride or a carboxylic acid and a first primary alcohol or a first secondary alcohol in a first organic solvent to form a first solution; in which each molecule of the first organic solvent contains 4-8 carbon atoms and a heteroatom; (2) reacting the triglyceride or the carboxylic acid with the first primary alcohol or the first secondary alcohol in the presence of a first lipase to produce a first alkyl ester, in which the first solution does not undergo phase separation throughout the reaction; and (3) separating the first alkyl ester from the first solution.
Claims36
A method for producing an alkyl ester, comprising:
- mixing an oil source containing a carboxylic acid and a first primary alcohol or a first secondary alcohol in a first organic solvent to form a first solution;
- wherein each molecule of the first organic solvent contains 4-8 carbon atoms and a heteroatom;
- reacting the carboxylic acid with the first primary alcohol or the first secondary alcohol in the presence of a first lipase to produce a first alkyl ester, wherein the solution does not undergo phase separation throughout the reaction and water is produced as a by-product;
- and
- obtaining the first alkyl ester after removing the first organic solvent, the unreacted first primary or first secondary alcohol, and the water by evaporation.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.