| abstract |
The invention provides a novel method for the preparation of a lower alkyl, e.g. methyl, ester of fatty acid by the alcoholysis reaction of fatty acid glyceride, i.e. naturally occurring oils or fats, with a lower alcohol, according to which high-quality products containing very small amounts of colored or coloring impurities are readily obtained without the necessity of troublesome procedure or expensive apparatus as in the conventional methods. The inventive method is in principle a two-step alcoholysis reaction and the product obtained in the first step is separated from the by-product glycerine and then subjected to the second alcoholysis reaction followed by admixing of an appropriate amount of water and phase separation so that the undesirable impurities transfer into the aqueous layer and readily separated from the ester product. |