Patent SG-11201406030X-A (SG)
Title: Process for the production of fatty acid esters
Inventor: WILD ROBERT
IPC: C11C1/10
Filed: 2013-05-23
Abstract: (12) INTERNATIONAL APPLICATION PUBLISHED UNDER THE PATENT COOPERATION TREATY (PCT) (19) World Intellectual Property Organization International Bureau (43) International Publication Date 19 December 2013 (19.12.2013) WIPOIPCT (10) International Publication Number WO 2013/186526 A1 (51) International Patent Classification: C11C 3/00 (2006.01) C11C1/00 (2006.01) (21) International Application Number: PCT/GB2013/051351 (22) International Filing Date: 23 May 2013 (23.05.2013) (25) Filing Language: English (26) Publication Language: English (30) Priority Data: 1210655.5 15 June 2012 (15.06.2012) GB (71) Applicant: DAVY PROCESS TECHNOLOGY LIM­ ITED [GB/GB]; 10 Eastbourne Terrace, London W2 6LG (GB). (72) Inventors: WILD, Robert; The Technology Centre, Prin­ ceton Drive, Thornaby, Stockton-on-Tees TS17 6PY (GB). ANDERSSON, Rickard, Umberto; 10 Eastbourne Ter­ race, London W2 6LG (GB). (74) Agent: WP THOMPSON; 55 Drury Lane, London WC2B 5SQ (GB). (81) Designated States (unless otherwise indicated, for every kind of national protection available)'. AE, AG, AL, AM, AO, AT, AU, AZ, BA, BB, BG, BH, BN, BR, BW, BY, BZ, CA, CH, CL, CN, CO, CR, CU, CZ, DE, DK, DM, DO, DZ, EC, EE, EG, ES, FI, GB, GD, GE, GH, GM, GT, HN, HR, HU, ID, IL, IN, IS, JP, KE, KG, KM, KN, KP, KR, KZ, LA, LC, LK, LR, LS, LT, LU, LY, MA, MD, ME, MG, MK, MN, MW, MX, MY, MZ, NA, NG, NI, NO, NZ, OM, PA, PE, PG, PH, PL, PT, QA, RO, RS, RU, RW, SC, SD, SE, SG, SK, SL, SM, ST, SV, SY, TH, TJ, TM, TN, TR, TT, TZ, UA, UG, US, UZ, VC, VN, ZA, ZM, ZW. (84) Designated States (unless otherwise indicated, for every kind of regional protection available)'. ARIPO (BW, GH, GM, KE, LR, LS, MW, MZ, NA, RW, SD, SL, SZ, TZ, UG, ZM, ZW), Eurasian (AM, AZ, BY, KG, KZ, RU, TJ, TM), European (AL, AT, BE, BG, CH, CY, CZ, DE, DK, EE, ES, FI, FR, GB, GR, HR, HU, IE, IS, IT, LT, LU, LV, MC, MK, MT, NL, NO, PL, PT, RO, RS, SE, SI, SK, SM, TR), OAPI (BF, BJ, CF, CG, CI, CM, GA, GN, GQ, GW, ML, MR, NE, SN, TD, TG). Published: — with international search report (Art. 21(3)) (54) Title: PROCESS FOR THE PRODUCTION OF FATTY ACID ESTERS CJ 00 T-H rn T-H o CJ (57) Abstract: A process for the production of fatty acid esters comprising; (a) subject­ ing a fatty acid or fatty acid mixture to es- terification with a lower alkanol in an esteri- fication reactor maintained under esterifica- tion conditions to form a stream comprising the corresponding lower alkyl ester or esters and recovering same; (b) recovering an overhead stream from the esterification re­ actor comprising unreacted lower alkanol, water, and heavy organic content compris­ a ing one or more of lower alkyl ester and/or acids; (c) subjecting the recovered overhead stream to distillation in a first distillation column operating under first distillation conditions to separate a portion of the lower alkanol from a stream comprising the water, the remaining lower alkanol and the heavy organic content; (d) recovering the stream comprising the water, the remaining lower alkanol and the heavy organic content; and (e) subjecting the stream comprising the wa­ ter, the remaining lower alkanol and the heavy organic content to distillation in a second distillation column operating under second distillation conditions to provide an overhead stream comprising lower alkanol and at least a major portion of the heavy organic content and water a stream having a re­ duced heavy organic and alkanol content.