Production of biodiesel and glycerin from high free fatty acid feedstocks

A process for increasing fatty acid alkyl ester yield from a feedstock containing free fatty acids, said process comprising:

• a. reacting said feedstock in a glycerolysis reactor with glycerin to produce glycerides and water;
• b. removing a vapor stream from said glycerolysis reactor, wherein the vapor stream includes water, feedstock, and glycerin;
• c. recovering from said vapor stream a feedstock-rich stream, a glycerin-rich stream and a water-rich stream;
• d. returning at least a portion of said feedstock-rich stream to said glycerolysis reactor;
• and
• e. processing said glycerides in a transesterification process with an alcohol to produce fatty acid alkyl esters.

A process for increasing fatty acid alkyl ester yield from a feedstock containing free fatty acids, said process comprising:

• a. reacting said feedstock in a glycerolysis reactor with glycerin to produce glycerides and water;
• b. removing a first vapor stream from said glycerolysis reactor, wherein the first vapor stream includes water, feedstock, and glycerin;
• c. recovering a portion of the feedstock and glycerin from the first vapor stream creating a second vapor stream which includes water, feedstock, and glycerin;
• d. returning at least a portion of the feedstock and glycerin recovered from the first vapor stream to the glycerolysis reactor;
• e. recovering feedstock and glycerin from the second vapor stream creating a third vapor stream enriched in water;
• f. separating the feedstock and glycerin recovered from the second vapor stream in a separation unit into a glycerin-rich phase and a feedstock-rich phase;
• g. returning at least a portion of the feedstock-rich phase to the glycerolysis reactor;
• h. processing said glycerides in a transesterification process with an alcohol to produce fatty acid alkyl esters.

A process for increasing the glyceride content of a feedstock containing free fatty acids, said process comprising:

• a. reacting said feedstock in a glycerolysis reactor with glycerin to produce glycerides and water;
• b. removing a vapor stream from said glycerolysis reactor, wherein the vapor stream includes feedstock, glycerin, and water;
• c. recovering feedstock and glycerin from said vapor stream;
• and
• d. returning at least a portion of said recovered feedstock to said glycerolysis reactor.