Production of glycerin and distilled fatty acids

Claim 1

IN THE PROCESSING OF GLYCERIDE FATS TO PRODUCE DISTILLED FATTY ACIDS AND AN AQUEOUS SOLUTION OF GLYCERIN, WHEREIN WATER AND FAT ARE SUBJECTED TO COUNTERCURRENT HYDROLYSIS AT EFFECTIVELY HIGH TEMPERATURE AND HIGH PRESSURE IN THE PRESENCE OF A WATER-INSOLUBLE METAL SOAP CATALYST, AND WHEREIN DISSOLVED WATER IS REMOVED FROM THE RESULTING HOT FATTY ACIDS BY VAPORIZATION, THE STEPS WHICH COMPRISE SUBJECTING THE RESULTING DRIED AND HOT FATTY ACIDS CONTAINING SAID METAL SOAP CATALYST PROMPLY AND WITHOUT INTERMEDIATE COOLING TO VACUUM DISTILLATION WITH THE AID OF FURTHER HEAT, COLLECTING A RELATIVELY CONCENTRADED UNDISTILLED RESIDUE, AMOUNTING TO BUT A MINOR FRACTION OF THE NET AMOUNT OF THE FEED TO BE STILL, AND RETURNING A SUBSTANTIAL PROPORTION OF SAID RESIDUE, TOGETHER WITH THE METAL SOAP CATALYST CONTAINED THEREIN, TO THE STREAM OF FAT ENTERING THE HYDROLYSIS REACTION.