Patent ID: 7605281

Claim:
A method of producing fatty acid alkyl esters and/or glycerine by reacting a fat or oil with an alcohol using an insoluble solid catalyst in a reaction apparatus comprising at least one reactor, comprising: (a) obtaining low-boiling components removed liquid by removing low-boiling components or fraction from an effluent liquid of a reactor and (b) separating the fatty acid alkyl esters and glycerine from the low-boiling components removed liquid, wherein an eluted active metal component of the insoluble solid catalyst in the effluent liquid of a reactor amounts to a level not higher than 1,000 ppm; wherein the insoluble solid catalyst comprises a mixed oxide catalyst, which contains: as an essential component thereof, at least one metal element selected from the group consisting of the elements belonging to the Group 5 in the periodic table, and as a second component thereof, at least one element selected from the elements belonging to the Group 3, 6, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 14, 15 and the Group 16 in the periodic table and lanthanoid.