Abstract: Fatty acids, esters of fatty acids and naturally occurring triglycerides are continuously hydrogenated to fatty alcohols in a fixed-bed reactor in the presence of hydrogen in excess and hydrogenation catalysts under static pressures of 200 to 300 bar and at temperatures of 80 to 150° C. The liquid product is cooled and the excess hydrogen is returned to the reactor entrance by a gas circulation pump as a recycle gas after separation of the liquid product. The expense involved in cooling and reheating the recycle gas is eliminated without any reduction in the quality of the fatty alcohol produced providing the recycle gas is returned to the reactor entrance without reheating. The fatty alcohol produced contains a minimum amount of diol.

Abstract: A process for the production of fatty acid lower alkyl esters comprising the steps of:A) treating at least one fatty acid ester of glycerol with from about 0.3 to about 3% by weight, based on the weight of ester, of an acid at an elevated temperature;B) removing said acid from the treated fatty acid ester; andC) reacting the treated fatty acid ester with at least one lower aliphatic alcohol to transesterify the fatty acid ester.

Abstract: Fatty acid glycerides can be transesterified with lower aliphatic alcohols if the reaction is carried out in the presence of fatty acids corresponding to formula (II):R.sup.2 --COOH (II),in which R.sup.2 is an aliphatic hydrocarbon moiety containing 11 to 17 carbon atoms and 0, 1 or 2 double bonds. The products are distinguished by a low content of bound glycerol and a low acid value. Removal or neutralization of the catalyst is unnecessary because, after the transesterification, the fatty acids are also present in the form of their esters.