PURPOSE: To obtain high-purity fatty acid in high yield by subjecting fatty acid lower alcohol esters to the reaction together with water and hydrase, separating the oil layer into the fatty acid and the unreacting ester, and feeding back the unreacting ester and the aqueous layer after stripping the lower alcohol.
CONSTITUTION: Fatty acid lower alcohol ester and water is charged in the reactor 1 and hydrase is added thereto to effect the hydrolytic reaction with heat at 30 to 70°C. At the same time, the reaction mixture is sent to the oil/ water separator 2 to effect continuous separation into the oil layer and the water layer. The oil layer is separated in the separator 3 into the unreacting fatty acid lower alcohol ester and the product, fatty acid, and the recovered ester is fed back to the reactor 1 together with the make-up fatty acid lower alcohol ester from the feed tank 5. The lower alcohol is removed from the water layer after oil/water separation in the lower alcohol stripper 4, and the residual water is fed back to the reactor 1 together with the make-up water from the feed tank 6 to effect continuous production of fatty acids of high purity in high yield.
KONISHI NORIKO
SAKATA MASARU
