Methyl esters in the fatty acid industry

Methyl esters, derived from natural fats or oils, can be used as alternatives to fatty acids in the production of a number of derivatives. The derivatives that can be made from methyl esters include fatty alkanolamides, fatty alcohols, isopropyl esters, and sucrose polyesters. By using methyl esters as the raw materials, several benefits may be realized, such as, the ability to make higher purity finished products, the use of milder conditions during syntheses, and the need for less expensive materials of construction. In addition to the applications mentioned, methyl esters are being used increasingly in fractional distillations because they have lower boiling points and are less corrosive than fatty acids.