In the deacidification process which is one of refinement processes

摘要

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a method and equipment for manufacturing a fatty acid ester, by which a fatty acid ester having a high added value can be manufactured from an oil cake generated in a deacidification step, one of steps of purifying an oil or fat.;SOLUTION: An oil cake is mixed with an acid by stirring to effect decomposition reaction, an acidulated soap stock comprising mainly a fatty acid and an oil or fat, produced by the decomposition reaction is separated from the reaction liquid, and the acidulated soap stock is mixed with an alcohol to effect an esterification reaction under conditions under which the alcohol becomes in a supercritical state, wherein an acid is added in an amount sufficient to give a pH of at most 5 to the oil cake and the mixture is agitated at 50-120°C to effect decomposition reaction. Sulfuric acid is used as the acid added to the oil cake. The esterification reaction is effected at a temperature of 200-350°C under a pressure of 15-25 MPa.;COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI