Patent ID: 7795460
Filing Date: 2010-09-14
Classification: C07C,C11C,Y02E

Abstract:
1. A method of making alkyl esters comprising: a) providing a fatty acid composition and an alcohol, wherein the fatty acid composition comprises free fatty acids and no more than 1% glycerides by mass; b) combining the fatty acid composition and the alcohol to form a mixture; and c) passing the mixture through at least one packed bed reactor at a temperature ranging from about 40° C. to about 120° C. containing sulfated zirconia to produce alkyl esters, such that at least 90% of the free fatty acids are converted to alkyl esters, wherein an elevated pressure is maintained in step (c) to keep the alcohol and by-product water in the liquid state and wherein the concentration of sulfated zirconia in the at least one packed bed reactor ranges from 100 g/(liter of reaction volume) to 3000 g/(liter of reaction volume), wherein providing the fatty acid composition comprises converting a glyceride source to the fatty acid composition comprising hydrolyzing the glyceride source with water in the presence of an acid catalyst and wherein (c) is a continuous process.