Patent ID: 7507846

Claim:
A process for making alkyl ester via transesterification from oil consisting essentially of triglycerides, comprising the steps of: (1) preheating the oil to between 27 and 100 degrees Celsius in a preheater vessel; (2) combining with agitation within a closed, recirculating transesterification flow system, the preheated oil with alkyl alcohol and an effective transesterification catalyst to form a reaction mixture with pH adjusted to between 8.7 and 8.9, comprised of a product alkyl ester and a product glycerol, said agitation including passage of air bubbles through said reaction mixture, said bubbles being generated by cavitation valve means; (3) permitting the reaction mixture to separate into an upper phase of product alkyl ester overlying a lower phase mixture comprised of particulates and product glycerol; (4) decanting, conducting or drawing off the alkyl ester away from the glycerol and particulates; and (5) filtering the decanted, conducted or drawn off alkyl ester to remove the particulates.