Process for preparing monoglycerides of fatty acids

Claim 1

IN A CONTINUOUS PROCESS FOR PREPARING GLYCEROL ESTERS OF FATTY ACIDS HAVING A HIGH PROPORTION OF MONOGLYCERIDE, THE STEPS COMPRISING (A) ADMIXING ONE PART OF WEIGHT OF SUBSTANTIALLY SNHYDROUS GLYCEROL WITH FROM 0.1% TO 2.0% BY WEIGHT OF ANHYDROUS CAUSTIC SODA, THE MIXTURE BEING TREATED TO A TEMPERATURE OF FROM 275*F. TO 325*F., (H) ADMIXING THEREWITH FROM 1 TO 3 PARTS BU WEIGHT OF A POLYGLYCERIDE OF A FATTY ACID AT A TEMPERATURE OF FROM 400*F.TO 475*F., (C) HEATING THE MIXTURE FROM A PERIOD OF 2 TO 8 MINUTES TO A TEMPERATURE OF FROM 475*F. TO 525*F. BY CONTINUALLY APPLYING AND REMOVING A THIN FILM THEREOF FROM A HIGHLY HEATED METAL SURFACE WHEREBY THE MIXTURE RAPIDLY ATTAINS THE DESIRED TEMPERATURE, (D) SIMULTANEOUSLY INTIMATELY ADMIXING INTO THE MIXTURE OF STEP (B) FROM ABOUT 5% TO 10% OF ITS WEIGHT OF PREVIOUSLY PROCESSED PRODUCT CONATAINING IN EXCESS OF 40% OF MONOGLYCERIDE, (E) HOLDING THE COMBINED MIXTURE FROM STEP (C) FOR A PERIOD OF AT LEAST 15 MINUTES WHILE MAINTAINING ITS TEMPERATURE FROM 475*F. TO 525*F. WHEREBY AN OPTIMUM PROPORTION OF MONOGLYCERIDE IS PRODUCED, FROM 4% TO 10% OF THE RESULTING PRODUCT BEING REYCLED TO STEP (B), (F) THEN RAPIDLY ADDING TO THE REMAINDER OF THE MIXTURE SUFFICIENT CONCENTRATED TO THE REMAINDER OF THE MIXTURE SUFFICIENT CONCENSODIUM ACID PHOSPHATE, THE ACIDIFIED MIXTURE HAVING A PH OF BELOW 7, (G) IMMEDIATELY CHILLING THE ACIDIFIED MIXTURE IN LESS THAN A MINUTE TO A TEMPERATURE OF FROM 200*F. TO 350*F. TO MINIMIZE REVERSION OF THE MONOGLYCERIDE THEREIN, AND (H) PURIFYING THE PRODUCT BY STRIPPING FREE GLYCERINE AND FILTERING OFF SODINM ACID PHOSPHATE, THEREBY CONTINUALLY PRODUCING A PRODUCT HAVING A HIGH PROPORTION OF MONOGLYCERIDE.