Patent ID: 8123822
Filing Date: 2012-02-28
Classification: C07C,C10L,C11C,Y02E,Y02P

Abstract:
1. An esterification process for preparing biodiesel from a fatty acid feedstream, the esterification process comprising: a) continuously introducing an alcohol vapor feedstream to a reaction vessel; b) continuously introducing the fatty acid feedstream to the reaction vessel; c) catalytically esterifying the alcohol vapor and fatty acid in a reaction zone within the reaction vessel to produce a fatty acid alkyl ester product stream and water, said reaction zone containing a heterogeneous catalyst; d) stripping said water from the reaction vessel with the alcohol vapor; e) separating the water from the alcohol vapor and recycling said alcohol to the reaction vessel; f) converting the fatty acid alkyl ester product stream into a biodiesel meeting or exceeding biodiesel standard ASTM D6751, wherein said converting comprises removing impurities from said fatty acid alkyl ester product stream by at least one purification process selected from the group consisting of distillation, reboiled stripping, inert gas stripping, physical adsorption, and gravity separation.