Patent ID: 7619104

Claim:
A process for producing free fatty acid esters comprising: providing a triglyceride feedstock; reacting the triglyceride feedstock in a reactor unit with an alcohol in the presence of an alkali catalyst to form a reaction product have an ester phase and a glycerol phase, wherein the reacting comprises reacting the feedstock in a first reactor tube having a first diameter and at least one static mixing element; a second reactor tube coupled to said first reactor tube and having a second diameter and at least one static mixing element, wherein the second diameter is greater than the first diameter; and a third reactor tube coupled to said second reactor tube and having an open tube, wherein the first reactor tube, second reactor tube and third reactor tube are sequentially coupled to form a reaction vessel having an input end and an output end, wherein the reaction vessel extends substantially vertically such that the output end is higher than the input end; and initiating a separation of the ester phase from the glycerol phase in the reactor unit.