Abstract: Provided are industrial processes for producing a fatty acid alkyl ester from a natural oil feedstock or a mixed lipid feedstock, wherein the natural oil feedstock comprises a free (un-esterified) organic acid such as a free fatty acid, comprising: producing fatty acid alkyl esters using an alcoholysis reaction such as a vapor phase alcoholysis reaction or a supercritical alcoholysis reaction, wherein the alcoholysis reaction takes place under conditions comprising: mixing the natural oil feedstock and/or mixed lipid feedstock and alcohol into an alcoholysis reactor or equivalent, and then depressurizing, and then recovering the fatty acid alkyl esters from the alcoholysis reactor or equivalent by distillation in a distillation column, leaving a still pitch or distillation bottoms in the distillation column or equivalent, wherein the fatty acid alkyl esters can be removed from the alcoholysis reactor or equivalent with or without cooling of the reaction mixture prior to depressurization.

Abstract: Provided are processes and products of manufacture that provide a green solution to the hydrolysis of C8/C10 methyl ester to fatty acids. Provided are reactive distillation processes for producing an aliphatic acid and an alcohol as hydrolysis products. Provided are processes and products of manufacture encompassing the hydrolysis of fatty acid alkyl esters to an aliphatic acid and an alcohol by a reactive distillation process. Provided are processes and products of manufacture useful for equilibrium-limited reactions and for the separation of azeotropic mixtures. Provided are reactive distillation products of manufacture and processes for alkyl alkanoate hydrolysis comprising a reaction column comprising a rectifying rectifying zone for further distillation, a reaction zone, and a stripping zone wherein products are separated from reaction mixtures, where a water stream and fatty acid alkyl ester stream can be fed into the reaction section.

Abstract: Provided are processes and products of manufacture that provide a green solution to the hydrolysis of C8/C10 methyl ester to fatty acids. Provided are reactive distillation processes for producing an aliphatic acid and an alcohol as hydrolysis products. Provided are processes and products of manufacture encompassing the hydrolysis of fatty acid alkyl esters to an aliphatic acid and an alcohol by a reactive distillation process. Provided are processes and products of manufacture useful for equilibrium-limited reactions and for the separation of azeotropic mixtures. Provided are reactive distillation products of manufacture and processes for alkyl alkanoate hydrolysis comprising a reaction column comprising a rectifying rectifying zone for further distillation, a reaction zone, and a stripping zone wherein products are separated from reaction mixtures, where a water stream and fatty acid alkyl ester stream can be fed into the reaction section.

Abstract: Provided are industrial processes for producing a fatty acid alkyl ester from a natural oil feedstock or a mixed lipid feedstock, wherein the natural oil feedstock comprises a free (un-esterified) organic acid such as a free fatty acid, comprising: producing fatty acid alkyl esters using an alcoholysis reaction such as a vapor phase alcoholysis reaction or a supercritical alcoholysis reaction, wherein the alcoholysis reaction takes place under conditions comprising: mixing the natural oil feedstock and/or mixed lipid feedstock and alcohol into an alcoholysis reactor or equivalent, and then depressurizing, and then recovering the fatty acid alkyl esters from the alcoholysis reactor or equivalent by distillation in a distillation column, leaving a still pitch or distillation bottoms in the distillation column or equivalent, wherein the fatty acid alkyl esters can be removed from the alcoholysis reactor or equivalent with or without cooling of the reaction mixture prior to depressurization.

Abstract: In alternative embodiments, provided are systems and processes for the preparation of high-quality biodiesel and high-quality glycerol from oils: e.g., natural oils: corn oil, distillers corn, linseed, flaxseed, cottonseed, rapeseed (canola), peanut, sunflower, safflower, coconut, palm, soybean, comprising a high percentage (e.g. >10%) of organic acids, e.g. free fatty acids. In alternative embodiments, provided are systems and processes for the production of biodiesel meeting or exceeding the specifications for B100 biodiesel set forth in ASTM Specification D6751-14, as well as a glycerol co-product meeting or exceeding the standards for U.S. Pharmacopeial Convention (USP)-grade glycerol from natural oil feedstocks comprising high percentages of organic acids.