Abstract: The present invention provides a method of producing a fatty acid alkyl ester and/or glycerin by bringing an oil and an alcohol into contact with each other, the method including: reacting the oil and alcohol with each other; performing solid-liquid separation for removing a solid sterol from a reaction liquid obtained in the step of reacting; and performing phase separation for separating the reaction liquid into a hydrophobic phase and a hydrophilic phase after the reaction liquid is subjected to the step of performing the solid-liquid separation, the hydrophobic phase containing the fatty acid alkyl ester, and the hydrophilic phase containing glycerin. Thereby, the present invention provides a method allowing stable continuous operation for a long time period for production of a fatty acid alkyl ester and/or glycerin.

Abstract: In the method of the present invention for producing fatty acid alkyl ester and/or glycerin, as a heat source for an alcohol refining step of refining alcohol from unreacted alcohol that remains without reacting in a first reaction step, at least a part of heat of the unreacted alcohol is used. This allows reducing costs in production of fatty acid alkyl ester and/or glycerin over a solid catalyst.

Abstract: A method for the production of monoethylene glycol of high purity is disclosed which comprises subjecting ethylene to catalytic vapor phase oxidation with a molecular oxygen-containing gas thereby obtaining an ethylene oxide-containing gas, exposing the ethylene oxide-containing gas to an absorbing solution and stripping the resultant ethylene oxide-containing solution in a stripper, condensing the vapor emanating from the top of the stripper thereby obtaining crude ethylene oxide, subjecting at least part of the crude ethylene oxide to a hydration reaction, adding an alkaline substance to the hydration reaction solution in an amount of not less than 0.5 atomic equivalent weight relative to the chlorine atom contained in the hydration reaction solution or dehydrating the hydration reaction solution and introducing the side cut technique to the monoethylene glycol rectification column, and acquiring the monoethylene glycol from the side cut part.