Patent ID: 6933139

Claim:
A method of enzymatically splitting triglycerides for obtaining fatty acids and glycerol utilizing at least one lipase acting as a biocatalyst, wherein the method comprises: preparing a mixture which contains triglycerides, water and at least one lipase; subjecting the mixture to a glyceride splitting process to create a reaction mixture; subjecting the reaction mixture to a centrifugal separation step for separating an aqueous, glycerol-containing phase obtained in the glyceride splitting process from an organic phase, which contains split free fatty acids, by supplying the reaction mixture into a self-cleaning centrifugal separator, said self-cleaning centrifugal separator allowing continuous discharge of the aqueous and organic phases and an intermittent bowl content discharge; adjusting said self-cleaning centrifugal separator such that an interfacial emulsion-like layer developing between said aqueous and organic phase accumulates within the self-cleaning centrifugal separator, said interfacial emulsion-like layer having a lipase content that is greater than the lipase content in either of the aqueous and organic phases; continuously discharging the aqueous, glycerol-containing phase and the organic phase from the self-cleaning centrifugal separator as the interfacial emulsion-like layer accumulates within the self-cleaning centrifugal separator; subjecting the self-cleaning centrifugal separator to a bowl discharge after predetermined time periods to discharge bowl content containing a major portion of the interfacial emulsion-like layer accumulating within the self-cleaning centrifugal separator; and feeding back at least a portion of the discharged bowl content of the self-cleaning centrifugal separator into the glyceride splitting process.