PROCESS FOR CONVERTING BIOLOGICALLY DERIVED TRIGLYCERIDES INTO A SINGLE-PHASE COMPOSITION CONTAINING FATTY ACID ESTER AND RELATED USES AS BIOFUEL OR LUBRICANT

Abstract

The present techniques relate to facilitating the conversion of bio-based triglycerides into fatty acid esters by combining the bio-based triglycerides with a carbonate ester in the presence of an alcohol, under catalytic transesterification conditions. A reaction mixture can be heated to a reaction temperature to effect transesterification of the bio-based triglyceride with the carbonate ester under alcohol catalysis, thereby forming a single-phase composition comprising the fatty acid esters. The reaction mixture can have a molar ratio of bio-based triglyceride to carbonate ester between 1:0.1 and 1:20. The compositions comprising the produced single-phase composition and optionally an additive can be used as diesel, jet fuel, or lubricant.

Description

PROCESS FOR CONVERTING BIOLOGICALLY DERIVED TRIGLYCERIDES INTO A SINGLE-PHASE COMPOSITION CONTAINING FATTY ACID ESTER AND RELATED USES AS BIOFUEL OR LUBRICANT FIELD OF INVENTION The present techniques generally relate to the production of single-phase compositions of biological origin for use as biofuel or lubricant and more specifically to a transesterification process using catalytic conditions, related system, related reaction mixture, resulting single-phase composition and uses thereof. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Several methods are known for producing biofuel candidates, including the catalytic and non-catalytic transesterification of vegetable oils and animal fats (triglycerides). Catalyst poisoning, catalyst separation, catalyst regeneration, water consumption, reaction time, the purification process, resistance to contaminants, solvent recovery, glycerol separation, and valorization are among the challenges associated with biofuel production, which can therefore be seen as economically uncompetitive. One known way to reduce the complexity and associated costs of catalyst recovery and to reduce water consumption is, for example, the use of alcohol under supercritical conditions during catalyst-free transesterification (Status and prospecta of supercritical alcohol transesterification for biodiesel production. S. Deshpande et al. WIREs Energy Environ 2017, e252). This technique requires a high molar ratio of alcohol to triglycerides to shift the reaction equilibrium in favor of ester formation, which increases production costs related to reaching the reaction temperature and recycling excess alcohol. Dimethyl carbonate (DMC) has been used alternatively, instead of an alcohol, as a transesterifying agent under supercritical conditions (Optimization of supercritical dimethyl carbonate method for biodiesel production. Fuel 97 (2012) 670-677).However, the molar ratio of DMC to triglycerides (e.g., 1:42) remained high, and preliminary hydrolysis of the triglycerides was required to obtain a higher-quality biofuel. Some additional neutralization and washing steps may be needed to remove unwanted components (Properties of a potential biofuel obtained from soybean oil by trans methylation with dimethyl carbonate. D. Fabric et al. Fuel 86 (2007) 690-697). Furthermore, these two methods produce, for example, glycerol, which corresponds to 10% of the initial triglyceride mass. Glycerol is known to be insoluble in fatty acid esters and must be separated from the resulting composition in order to use the remaining fatty acid esters as biofuel. Although glycerol can be valorized, there is not enough demand to match glycerol production. The derivatization of glycerol into a fuel additive has been proposed (WO2016012343A1). Few methods have been developed to minimize glycerol production (Coupling transesterifications for no-glycerol biodiesel production catalyzed by calcium oxide. Yang. T. et al. C.Fl. Chimie 18 (2015) 1328-1334 and Biodiesel at the Crossroads: A Critical Review, R. Estevez et al. Catalysts 2019, 9, 1033). 30 / Therefore, there is a need for biofuel production techniques that overcome at least some of the challenges that still remain from what is known in the field. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION In one aspect, a process is provided for the production of a single-phase composition comprising a fatty acid ester, the process comprising: feeding a reaction mixture comprising a biologically sourced triglyceride, a carbonate ester, and an alcohol into a reaction chamber under a reaction pressure; heating the reaction mixture to a reaction temperature to operate a transesterification of the biologically sourced triglyceride with the carbonate ester under alcohol catalysis once in the reaction chamber, thereby forming the single-phase composition comprising the fatty acid ester; and recovering the single-phase composition from the reaction chamber. In another aspect, a reaction mixture is provided for producing a single-phase composition comprising a fatty acid ester by catalytic transesterification, the reaction mixture comprising: a triglyceride of biological origin of formula I: iviA / a / zuzz / u 1 loor a carbonate ester of formula II: OR'o\'R> (II) an alcohol of formula III: _OH (III)3 where Ri is a functional group derived from a fatty acid whose nature may differ from one Ri to another Ri of the triglyceride; and R2 and R3 are alkyl or aryl groups. wherein a molar ratio of the biologically sourced triglyceride to the carbonate ester is between 1:0.1 and 1:20; and wherein the alcohol is present in a catalytic amount to maximize the conversion of the biologically sourced triglyceride to the fatty acid ester. In another aspect, a single-phase composition comprising a fatty acid ester and produced by the process as defined herein is provided. The single-phase composition may also be defined as the product of the transesterification of the reaction mixture as defined herein. The single-phase composition may include the following compounds, in proportions that depend on the process conditions applied: - the triglyceride of biological origin of formula I: iviA / a / zuzz / u 1 loor - the carbonate ester of formula II: Or (II) - the alcohol of formula III: or -0H(III)3 - a fatty acid ester of formula IV: EITHER R ^O'*2·3(IV)Ri ° ; and where Ri is a functional group derived from a fatty acid whose nature may differ from one Ri to another Ri of the triglyceride; and each of R2 and R3 may be an alkyl group, an aryl group or a glycerol carbonate derivative. - lipophilic glycerol derivatives of formula V: (V) OR4 R4Ox^xJx^OR4 where R4 can be a cyclic carbonate, an alkyl carbonate, an aryl carbonate, fatty acyl portions and where each R4 can be different from each other. Optionally, the single-phase composition may also include lipophilic glycerol derivatives formed by the rearrangement or decomposition of lipophilic glycerol derivatives of formula V. It should be noted that the single-phase composition as defined herein can be used as a biofuel, a lubricant, as a biocomponent of jet fuel, as a biocomponent of diesel fuel, or as a biocomponent of a lubricant. The single-phase composition may also be part of a composition that further comprises an additive selected for diesel, jet fuel, or lubricant applications. In another aspect, a method is provided for maximizing the conversion of biologically sourced triglycerides into fatty acid esters. The method includes: combining triglycerides of biological origin with a carbonate ester in the presence of an alcohol, under catalytic transesterification conditions, where the molar ratio of the triglyceride of biological origin to the carbonate ester is between 1:0.1 and 1:20 and the molar ratio of biological triglyceride to alcohol is between 1:0.01 and 1:0.5. In yet another respect, a system is provided for producing a single-phase composition as defined herein, the system comprising: a reaction unit to receive the reaction mixture comprising the biologically sourced triglyceride, carbonate ester, and alcohol; a heating setup configured to heat the reaction mixture to the reaction temperature; a pumping assembly configured to provide the reaction mixture at a reaction stoichiometry to the reaction unit; and a cooling assembly that receives and cools the formed single-phase composition to room temperature. Since the invention will be described in conjunction with exemplary embodiments, it is understood that the scope of the invention is not intended to be limited to these embodiments. On the contrary, it is intended to cover all alternatives, modifications, and equivalents that may be included as defined herein. The objects, advantages, and other features of the present invention will become more evident and better understood upon reading the following non-restrictive description of the invention, given with reference to the accompanying drawings. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES The implementations of the techniques described herein are represented in and will be further understood in relation to the following figures. Figure 1 is a schematic block diagram of a system operating a process to produce a single-phase composition as contemplated herein. Figure 2 is a schematic block diagram of another system that operates a process to produce a single-phase composition as contemplated herein. Figure 3 is a schematic block diagram of another system that operates a process to produce a single-phase composition as contemplated herein. Figure 4 is a schematic process flow diagram of a process for producing a single-phase composition as contemplated herein. Figures 5 to 15 provide external analysis charts of gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GCMS) of a sample of a single-phase composition obtained in Example 3. Since the invention will be described in conjunction with exemplary embodiments, it is understood that the scope of the invention is not intended to be limited to these embodiments. On the contrary, it is intended to cover all alternatives, modifications, and equivalents that may be included as defined by the appended claims. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The techniques described herein relate to the formation of a single-phase composition that can be used directly as a biofuel, a lubricant, or as a biocomponent of jet fuel, diesel, or lubricant. The single-phase composition is produced according to [unclear] using a transesterification process that allows the conversion of a triglyceride of biological origin into an alkyl fatty acid ester and lipophilic glycerol derivatives of interest for the applications detailed above. The nature of the components of the single-phase composition and their proportions therein can be varied by controlling the nature of the reagents and the process conditions in order to obtain single-phase compositions with physicochemical properties suited to the final application.The process as described herein can be described as a zero-waste process, making use of 100% of the reaction products as a single-phase composition, requiring no recovery of any components, being able to use inputs entirely of biological origin, and being fully automated to operate in continuous mode. More specifically, it has been found that contacting a triglyceride of biological origin with a carbonate ester and alcohol, as a catalyst, leads to the conversion of the reaction mixture into fatty acid alkyl esters and lipophilic glycerol derivatives, thus forming a single-phase composition that can be used directly for the applications contemplated herein. Advantageously, this conversion can be carried out in a dedicated microplant that receives animal or plant biomass generated on-site (e.g., on a farm harvesting seeds or growing animals). Reaction mixing implementations The reaction mixture is defined as a mixture of reactants and catalyst selected to form a single-phase composition upon transesterification of the reactants in the presence of the catalyst. The reaction mixture includes a triglyceride of biological origin of formula I, a carbonate ester of formula II, and an alcohol of formula III. O (II) r-oh(III)R3 Ri is a functional group of the acyl group of fatty acids derived from a vegetable oil or animal fat. The carbon chain length of the acyl group can vary and usually contains 8 to 26 carbon atoms depending on the naturally occurring fatty acid. Formula (I) illustrates a homotriglyceride, but it should be noted that Ri groups can vary within the same triglyceride in the reaction mixture. R2 can be an alkyl or aryl group, such as a phenol, and may contain heteroatoms such as nitrogen, sulfur, or oxygen. It should be noted that each R2 group can be different from the others in the same carbonate ester. Ra can be an alkyl or aryl group, such as a phenol, and can contain heteroatoms such as, for example, nitrogen, sulfur, or oxygen. R2 and Rs can be the same group or different groups. It should be noted that triglycerides, as defined herein, are considered to be of biological origin, meaning they are found in a plant or animal source. In the case of triglycerides, the plant source may be a vegetable oil or a combination of vegetable oils. Vegetable oils of interest for biofuel production include soybean oil, canola oil, sunflower seed oil, corn germ oil, olive oil, cottonseed oil, rapeseed oil, flaxseed oil, kelp oil, coconut oil, pistachio oil, jatropha oil, any other fruit oil, waste vegetable oils (WVO), or any combination thereof. Animal sources of triglycerides include animal fat or a combination of animal fats. Animal fats of interest for biofuel production include beef tallow, lard, and chicken fat.Triglycerides of biological origin that constitute vegetable oils and animal fats, also known as triacylglycerol, include triglycerides where the acyl group can be saturated (i.e., caprylic acyl, capric acyl, lauric acyl, stearic acyl, arachidic acyl, behenic acyl, lignoceric acyl, cerotic acyl, etc.) or can be unsaturated (i.e., myristoleic acyl, palmitoleic acyl, sapienic acyl, oleic acyl, elaidic acyl, vaccenic acyl, lenoleic acyl, linoeleaidic acyl, arachidonic acyl, eicosapentaenoic acyl, erucic acyl, docosahexaenoic acyl, etc.). The carbonate ester present in the reaction mixture is selected to serve as a transesterifying agent that interacts with both the acyl and glycerol groups of the triglyceride. The carbonate ester also acts as a water-binding agent and a free fatty acid-binding agent, thereby allowing for the contamination of the triglyceride with free fatty acids or water of biological origin. The carbonate ester can be a diaryl or dialkyl carbonate. For example, the carbonate ester can be dimethyl carbonate, diethyl carbonate, diisopropyl carbonate, di-n-butyl carbonate, di-iso-butyl carbonate, diphenyl carbonate, dibenzyl carbonate, di-paratolyl carbonate, or dimethylphenyl carbonate. When referring to the carbonate ester in the reaction mixture, it should be understood that the reaction mixture may include a mixture of carbonate esters. Alcohol is present in the reaction mixture as a proton source and serves as a homogeneous catalyst for the transesterification reaction. The alcohol can be either an alkyl alcohol or an aryl alcohol. For example, an alkyl alcohol can be methanol, ethanol, isopropanol, n-propanol, n-butanol, isobutanol, or glycerol. An aryl alcohol can be benzyl alcohol, phenol, para-tolyl alcohol, or para-methyl phenol. When referring to the alcohol in the reaction mixture, it should be understood that the reaction mixture may include a mixture of alcohols. It should be noted that the reaction mixture can be prepared by mixing animal fat or vegetable oil with the remaining components, which include the carbonate ester and the alcohol. Therefore, when referring to the triglyceride in the reaction mixture, it should be understood that the reaction mixture may include a mixture of triglycerides, depending on the vegetable oil or animal fat used. For example, waste vegetable oil may consist of several triglycerides. A combination of different vegetable oils and / or animal fats can be used in proportions tailored to modulate the physicochemical properties of the single-phase composition produced by the process. The combination of an alcohol as a homogeneous catalyst and a carbonate ester as a transesterifying agent allows for a lower molar ratio of the transesterifying agent to the triglycerides, compared to known and conventional reaction mixtures involving the use of carbonate esters or alkyl alcohols (separately). In some implementations, the molar ratio of the bio-based triglyceride to the carbonate ester can range from 1:0.1 to 1:20. Furthermore, the alcohol, which serves as a homogeneous catalyst, can be present in a catalytic amount. This catalytic amount is understood as the quantity that advantageously prevents the removal of the catalyst (alcohol) from the single-phase composition after the reaction, prior to its further use, with respect to the required physicochemical properties. The combination of the alcohol and the carbonate ester favors the transformation of glycerol into lipophilic glycerol derivatives that are soluble, so the resulting single-phase composition is suitable for use as a fuel or lubricant. This prevents, or at least reduces, the formation of glycerol. The catalytic presence of alcohol can also contribute to maximizing the conversion of the bio-based triglyceride into the fatty acid alkyl ester. In some implementations, the molar ratio of the bio-based triglyceride to the alcohol can be as low as 1:0.01 and 1:0.5. In other implementations, the reaction mixture may include a mixture of dialkyl carbonates or diaryl carbonates. For example, a 1:1 ratio of dimethyl carbonate and diethyl carbonate may be part of the reaction mixture. In some implementations, the reaction mixture may also include an antioxidant in association with the bio-based triglyceride, such as 2,6-di-tert-butyl-4-methylphenol (BHT) or tert-butylhydroquinone (TBHQ), 7-rogalol (PY), or bilirubin (BHA). The use of an antioxidant, optionally between 10 and 10,000 ppm, may be recommended when the selected triglyceride is known to be less thermally stable, so that the antioxidant can be beneficial for the thermal stability of the resulting single-phase composition. Systems and processes implementations This paper provides a process that utilizes the reaction mixture described herein by converting it into a single-phase composition suitable for use as a biofuel or lubricant. The process involves subjecting the triglyceride in the reaction mixture to catalyzed transesterification under process conditions (temperature, pressure, and reaction time) tailored to obtain a single-phase composition with physicochemical properties suitable for use as a biofuel or lubricant, or in a blend with diesel, jet fuel, or lubricant. Furthermore, a system for operating this process at various scales is provided, including directly within a biomass generation facility. It should be noted that the process may involve preparing the reaction mixture by premixing the alcohol and carbonate ester to form a premix, before mixing it with the remaining components of the reaction mixture. Other specific components of the reaction mixture may be premixed together. For example, when the reaction mixture includes an antioxidant, the antioxidant may be premixed with the triglyceride and, for example, may already be present in a vegetable oil. Alternatively, all components of the reaction mixture may be mixed simultaneously. Figures 1 to 3 illustrate examples of a system that can be used to prepare the reaction mixture and operate the transesterification reaction to produce the single-phase composition. With reference to Figure 1, the system 2 may include an independent triglyceride feed line 4, an alcohol feed line 6, and a carbonate ester feed line 8 in fluid communication with a source of each component (which may be, for example, a feed tank, not illustrated). It should be noted that each feed tank may be maintained under an inert atmosphere using an inert gas such as argon or nitrogen. With reference to Figure 2, the alcohol feed line 6 and the carbonate ester feed line 8 may be premixed to feed a premix feed line 10, independently of the triglyceride feed line 4.A person skilled in the art will readily understand that the system can include as many feed lines as there are components in the reaction mixture (see Figure 1). However, the number of feed lines can be reduced by premixing some of the components (see Figures 2 and 3). It should be noted that premixing one or more components of the reaction mixture can reduce the number of high-pressure liquid pumps required to operate the process, thereby lowering the process operating cost. With reference to Figures 1 to 3, System 2 further includes a pumping assembly comprising one or more pumps (18a, 18b, 18c), for example, high-pressure pumps, operatively connected to the respective feed lines 4, 6, 8, or 10 to provide suitable stoichiometric ratios within the ranges described herein. Again, different ways of feeding the reaction mixture to a reaction unit to operate the transesterification reaction are considered. For example, as shown in Figure 1, the components of the reaction mixture can be fed independently to a reaction unit 12 via feed lines 4, 6, and 8 to operate the transesterification reaction at a reaction temperature Tr and a reaction pressure Pr. Figures 2 and 3 show an example of a system 2 where the components are combined to form the reaction mixture before the reaction mixture is fed to the reaction unit 12 via feed line 11. With reference to Figure 1, the reaction unit 12 may include multiple inlets, each inlet being in fluid communication with one of the feed lines 4, 6, and 8, so that the reaction mixture is formed within the reaction unit 12 itself at the reaction temperature Tr and reaction pressure Pr. Although not illustrated in the figures, it should be noted that the reaction unit may include multiple reaction chambers to operate the transesterification under different sets of reaction conditions, so that the resulting single-phase composition can have tailored physicochemical properties. In some implementations, the reaction unit or reaction chamber is a tubular reactor, a batch reactor, or a microfluidic reactor. It should be noted that Figures 1 to 3 illustrate implementations of the process that include feeding the reaction mixture continuously, so that the single-phase composition is recovered from the reaction chamber as a continuous process stream 14. However, a person skilled in the art can easily understand how to adapt this system to a batch process also contemplated herein. The process also involves subjecting the reaction mixture to a combination of temperature and pressure tailored to convert the triglyceride into specific proportions of fatty acid ester and lipophilic glycerol derivatives, while maintaining the homogeneity of the composition (single phase). In fact, the reaction temperature and pressure combination is selected to ensure that the catalytic transesterification occurs in a homogeneous medium. Subcritical or supercritical conditions can be used for this purpose. It should be noted, in particular, that the reaction temperature and pressure conditions can be a combination of a subcritical temperature and a subcritical pressure that places a compound or mixture of compounds below a critical point.Alternatively, the reaction temperature and pressure conditions can be a combination of supercritical temperature and pressure that places a compound, for example, the carbonate ester or a mixture of compounds, at or above a critical point, where the compound or mixture of compounds becomes a supercritical fluid. In some implementations, the temperature can be between 50 °C and 500 °C, and the pressure can be between 13 psi (89.6318 kPa) and 5000 psi (34473.79 kPa). Several methods are considered for subjecting the reaction mixture to a combination of temperature and pressure. For example, the process may involve independently preheating the components of the reaction mixture (see Figure 1), separately preheating the triglyceride TG (vegetable oil and / or animal fat) and the alcohol and carbonate ester premix (see Figure 3), or preheating the reaction mixture itself (see Figure 2) before blending it to form the reaction mixture. Additionally, as shown in Figure 3, subjecting the reaction mixture to a reaction temperature can be done in two preheating steps.With reference to Figure 3, System 2 may include a heating assembly (16a, 16b, 17a, 17b) configured to independently heat the triglycerides by means of a heating device 16a operatively connected to feed line 4 and the alcohol and carbonate ester premix by means of another heating device 16b operatively connected to feed line 10, before it is fed to the reaction unit 12. Advantageously, the thermal energy to be supplied by the heating devices 16a and 16b can be reduced by further preheating the fluids flowing through feed lines 4 and 10 by means of energy recovered from the single-phase composition.In fact, the heating assembly may include a pair of heat exchangers 17a and 17b, which provide thermal energy to feed lines 4 and 10 of the single-phase composition produced by line 14, aiding in its cooling. Optionally, the reaction unit 12 may be equipped with a separate heating device (not illustrated) to maintain the reaction temperature throughout the reaction time within the reaction unit 12. System 2 may further include a backpressure valve 22 configured to maintain the reaction pressure in the reaction unit 12 supplied by the high-pressure pumps 18a and 18b. ινΐΛ / a / zuzz / ui loor It should be noted that the heating devices covered herein, as available to a person skilled in the art, include an indirect heat exchanger, an electric heater, an oil bath, an air heater, an infrared heater, and a radio frequency heater. The process also includes catalytic transesterification of the reaction mixture to produce a single-phase composition comprising at least fatty acid esters suitable for use as a biofuel or lubricant. The combined presence of a carbonate ester as the transesterifying agent and an alcohol as a catalyst allows for the formation of a single-phase composition in which the potentially formed glycerol, monoglyceride, and diglyceride are trapped by the carbonate ester under catalysis by the alcohol (acting as a proton source) to form lipophilic and soluble derivatives. In contrast, conventional transesterification methods, which do not benefit from the combined presence of an alcohol and a carbonate ester, can produce a multi-phase composition that includes untrapped (free) glycerol and solid components (such as sodium glycerol salt) that must be removed by subsequent separation / extraction steps. It should be noted that the specifications for a particular single-phase composition may require an incomplete reaction. Lubricant specifications may be one such example. Using the present techniques, the conversion of biologically sourced triglycerides to fatty acid esters can be at least 10%, 20%, 30%, 40%, 50%, 60%, 70%, 80%, or 90%. Furthermore, glycerol, if present, is in a negligible amount. In some implementations, complete conversion of triglycerides to fatty acid esters can be achieved with a reaction time between 0.1 and 120 minutes. In some implementations, the process may involve adjusting at least one of the reaction conditions (including the amount or nature of the bio-based triglyceride, the amount or nature of the carbonate ester, the amount or nature of the alcohol, the reaction temperature, the reaction pressure, the preheating temperature, the reaction time in the reaction unit, and the number of reaction chambers) to vary the transesterification stoichiometry and obtain a single-phase composition with tailored physicochemical properties. The process may include, for example, selecting reaction conditions that maximize the amount of fatty acid esters or the amount of a particular fatty acid ester to be formed within the single-phase composition. It should also be noted that additional equipment such as valves, thermocouples, microvibrators, online analytical systems (such as infrared analytical systems), filtration systems, etc., can be included in the system to ensure automation, operation, safety, process control, and maintenance. For example, explosion-proof microvibrators can be used at various locations along the system's feed lines, inlets, and outlets to prevent blockages under extreme testing conditions. With reference to figure 3, system 2 may further include a controller 26 connected in an operational manner to the pumping assembly, heating assembly and additional equipment, such as thermocouples (not illustrated) in the reaction unit 12, to adjust at least one of the reaction parameters mentioned above. In some implementations, the system may also include a monitoring assembly operationally connected to the controller to provide analytical data. The controller can activate one or more of the system assemblies and elements in response to the monitored analytical data to ensure that the composition of the produced single-phase product meets the desired specifications. The monitoring assembly may include online analysis systems such as, but not limited to, NIR probes, UV spectrometers, Raman spectrometers, NMR spectrometers, and MS spectrometers. It should be noted that monitoring the composition of the fluids flowing in the feed lines can alternatively be performed by sampling and subsequent analysis of the sample in the laboratory. The process may also include cooling the single-phase composition to ambient temperature before its recovery. With reference to Figure 3, the single-phase composition can be pre-cooled by providing thermal energy to preheat the components fed to the reaction unit via heat exchangers 17a and 17b. System 2 may further include a cooling device 20 operatively connected to the product streamline 14 and perform cooling of the single-phase composition for its recovery. Therefore, process reaction conditions can be controlled to form a single-phase composition and eliminate the need for prior saponification, prior acid esterification, or subsequent removal of solvent, catalyst (unreacted), or non-biofuel-like components from the formed single-phase composition. The process described herein can also be advantageously operated in biomass-generating facilities to extract the triglyceride on-site. The system described herein can be a micro-plant located, for example, next to fuel or lubricant suppliers, or next to biomass producers, to reduce the environmental and economic impact associated with transporting the raw material or product. In the implementations illustrated in Figure 4, the system 200 can be a micro-plant that includes a triglyceride extraction unit 24 fed with animal or plant biomass, preferably generated on-site, which produces the triglyceride source fed to the transesterification unit (which can be subsystem 2 in Figures 1 to 3). Therefore, the process can include the production of the bio-based triglyceride from either plant or animal biomass.For example, the process may include extracting a vegetable oil from at least one of, and not limited to, soybeans, canola seeds, sunflower seeds, corn germ, olives, cottonseed, rapeseed, flaxseed, algae, coconut, pistachio, jatropha, or any other fruit pit or seed to produce the biologically sourced triglyceride. Single-phase composition implementations The process described herein allows the production of a single-phase composition comprising fatty acid esters and lipophilic, soluble glycerol derivatives, such as glycerol carbonate derivatives. The single-phase composition may also include lipophilic, soluble carbonate derivatives of monoglycerides and diglycerides. The resulting composition is a single-phase composition (also referred to as the one-phase composition) and avoids the subsequent separation steps for removing the catalyst, solvent, and unwanted compounds (such as free glycerol) that are typically generated by conventional triglyceride transesterification techniques. Therefore, the single-phase composition can be used directly as a biofuel, as a lubricant, as a biocomponent of jet fuel, as a biocomponent of diesel fuel, or as a biocomponent of a lubricant. The term “biocomponent,” when used in relation to the single-phase composition, means that the single-phase composition can be combined with an additive, or used as an additive, to form a composition suitable as diesel, jet fuel, or a lubricant. The conversion of the triglyceride from the reaction mixture as described herein and under the process conditions as described herein leads at least partially to a fatty acid ester of formula IV: O (IV) Ri O ' where Ri, R2 and R3 are groups as defined above in relation to reaction mixture implementations. The conversion of the triglyceride from the reaction mixture as described herein under the process conditions as described herein may also lead to lipophilic and soluble glycerol derivatives such as, but not limited to, glycerol carbonate esters (GCE), monoglyceride alkyl (or aryl) carbonates, or diglyceride alkyl (or aryl) carbonates, which may be illustrated by the following formula V: (V) OR4 R4O^A^OR4 where R4 can be a cyclic carbonate, an alkyl carbonate, an aryl carbonate, fatty acyl portions and where each R4 can be different from each other. Optionally, the single-phase composition may further include lipophilic glycerol derivatives formed by rearrangement or decomposition of lipophilic glycerol derivatives of formula V. In some implementations, the process may involve converting the biologically sourced triglyceride into a fatty acid alkyl ester by reacting it with a dialkyl carbonate and an alkyl alcohol. The dialkyl carbonate may be dimethyl carbonate, and the alkyl alcohol may be methanol, so that when used in the reaction mixture, the fatty acid alkyl ester formed is a fatty acid methyl ester (FAME). In other implementations, depending on the components of the reaction mixture, other examples of fatty acid alkyl esters may include fatty acid ethyl ester (FAEE), fatty acid isopropyl ester (FAiPE), fatty acid butyl ester (FABE), or any combination thereof. Examples of fatty acid aryl esters may include fatty acid phenyl ester (FAPE), fatty acid tolyl ester (FATE), fatty acid benzyl ester (FABeE) or any combination thereof. In fact, as shown in the GCMS analysis presented in the experimental results later, the single-phase composition may consist primarily of fatty acid esters, but may also include additional compounds that form a remnant. The remainder of the single-phase composition may include any lipophilic and soluble glycerol derivative, such as glycerol carbonate ester derivatives, glycerol carbonate derivatives, or a combination thereof. The remainder of the single-phase composition may also include unreacted alcohol and carbonate ester. For example, knowing that dialkyl carbonate can be used as a fuel additive, the process may include controlling the reaction stoichiometry to advantageously maintain a desired amount of residual dialkyl carbonate in the produced single-phase composition. The same can be done with alcohol. In some implementations, a portion of the bio-based triglyceride can also be converted into lipophilic glycerol derivatives, which are suitable for use as a biofuel or lubricant. Glycerol, which can be considered an unwanted byproduct in conventional biofuel compositions, is here converted into soluble lipophilic derivatives through the presence of carbonate esters and alcohols in the reaction mixture. The nature of these soluble derivatives can vary depending on the specific reaction conditions. The soluble derivatives can be primarily identified as cyclic glycerol carbonate derivatives, which are suitable for use as a biofuel or lubricant. The process conditions, nature, and stoichiometry of the reactants in the reaction mixture can be modulated to provide the desired physicochemical properties to the resulting single-phase composition. The physicochemical properties that are controlled include lubricity, cold flow properties, lean point, low-temperature homogeneity, flash point, stability, and mixing properties of the single-phase composition. The single-phase composition produced by the techniques described herein can, for example, comply with ASTM D675 for conventional fossil diesel fuel, EN14214 for biofuel, ASTM D6751 for biodiesel, or common lubricant standards, without any additional process steps beyond those described herein. The single-phase composition may include at least 50% fatty acid alkyl ester, a maximum of 30% lipophilic glycerol derivatives, a maximum of 5% alkyl alcohol, and a maximum of 5% dialkyl carbonate. Alternatively, the single-phase composition may include at least 80% fatty acid alkyl ester, a maximum of 10% lipophilic glycerol derivatives, a maximum of 5% alkyl alcohol, and a maximum of 5% dialkyl carbonate.Further examples of a single-phase composition produced by the process defined herein are provided later in the experimental section. It should be noted that the present process implementations are not limited to producing specific quantities of fatty acid alkyl ester or lipophilic glycerol derivatives, and the process parameters can be modulated to recover a mixture of products with varying compositions. The techniques described herein allow the production of single-phase compositions that are suitable for blending purposes because they are completely miscible with diesel, jet fuel, or existing lubricant over a wide range of blending ratios. For example, the single-phase composition can represent 0.1 to 99% of a diesel, jet fuel, or lubricant. In some implementations, the additive may be diesel #2 in combination with the single-phase composition that includes FAME.Other additives may be used in the mixture such as, and not limited to, ethanol, acetoacetic esters, dicarboxylic ester, ethylene glycol monoacetate, 2-hydroxyethyl esters, diethylene glycol dimethyl ether, sorbitan monooleate and polyoxyethylene sorbitan monooleate, dibutyl maleate, tripropylene glycol monomethyl ester, dimethyl ether, dimethyl carbonate, dimethoxymethane, 1-octylamino-3-octyloxy-2-propanol, N-octyl nitrite, dimethoxypropane, dimethoxyethane, diesel, dialkyl peroxide, diaryl peroxides, 2-ethylhexyl nitrate, pyrogallol, propyl gallate, tert-butylhydroquinone (TBHQ), butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA), polyacrylate, polymethacrylates, or poly(ethylene-co-vinyl acetate), paraffin or any combination thereof. It should be noted that the same numerical references refer to similar elements. Furthermore, for the sake of simplicity and clarity, specifically to avoid unduly burdening the figures with multiple reference numbers, not all figures contain references to all components and features. References to some components and features may appear in only one figure, and the components and features illustrated in other figures can be easily inferred from them. The configurations, geometric arrangements, materials mentioned, and / or dimensions shown in the figures are optional and are provided for illustrative purposes only. Therefore, the descriptions, examples, methods, and materials presented in the claims and specification should not be interpreted as limiting, but rather as illustrative only. It is worth mentioning that throughout the following description, when the article “a” or “an” is used to introduce an element, it does not mean “only one,” but rather “one or more.” For example, the unit according to the invention may be provided with one or more separation and / or reaction chambers, one or more openwork confinement structures, etc., without departing from the scope of the present invention. It is understood that where the specification states that a component, feature, structure, or characteristic “may,” “could,” “can,” or “might” be included, it is not required that that particular component, feature, structure, or characteristic be included. In the following description, quantitative values ​​are given within an acceptable error range for the particular value as determined by a person skilled in the art. This range will depend in part on how the value is measured or determined, i.e., the limitations of the measurement system. It is generally accepted that a precision of 10% is acceptable to meet the values ​​described herein. It should also be understood that any of the aforementioned optional aspects of the process may be combined with any other aspect of the method, system, reaction mixture, single-phase composition, and aspects of its use, unless two aspects clearly cannot be combined due to their mutual exclusivity. For example, the different operating steps of the process described earlier herein, later herein, and / or in the accompanying figures may be combined with any of the structural features of the system described herein and / or in accordance with the accompanying claims. EXPERIMENTAL RESULTS experimental setup The experimental system includes: => vessels maintained under an argon atmosphere for reaction mixture components => a pumping assembly, including two HPLC pumps equipped with flow and pressure control => a tubular heat exchanger composed of one SS316 tube having an outer diameter of 3 / 8 inch (0.9525 cm), an inner diameter of 0.277 inch (0.70358 cm) and an internal volume of 23.7 mL and two other SS316 tubes (wrapped around the first SS316 tube) having an outer diameter of 1 / 8 inch, an inner diameter of 0.069 inch (1.7526 cm) and an internal volume of 6.62 mL. => a preheating assembly consisting of two SS316 tubes having an outer diameter of 1 / 8 inch (0.3175 cm), an inner diameter of 0.069 inch (1.7526 cm) and an internal volume of 6.62 mL finely wrapped over a steel tube covered by a heating tape and insulated with a fiberglass rope. => a reaction unit comprising two tubular reactors, each consisting of an outer diameter of 3 / 8 inch (0.9525 cm), an inner diameter of 0.277 inch (0.70358 cm) and an internal volume of 106.6 mL finely wrapped over a steel tube covered by a heating tape and insulated with a fiberglass rope. => a cooling assembly that includes a chiller having an outer diameter of 3 / 8 inch (0.9525 cm), an inner diameter of 0.277 inch (0.70358 cm), and an inner diameter of 106.6 mL folded into a spiral and cooled with air by an electric fan. => 2 backpressure relief valves, including one used as a safety valve. => 3 heating controllers => 5 thermocouples => 2 explosion-proof microvibrators The experimental setup was connected according to the system illustrated in Figure 3. Both feed lines 4 and 10 were combined via a 3 / 8" OD SS316 T-junction to bring feed line 11 into fluid communication with consecutive reaction chambers of reaction unit 12. The 3 / 8" OD SS316 heat exchanger was used to pre-cool the single-phase composition, which was further cooled by an air fan while pressure was maintained by two backpressure relief valves. One of these valves was set to a higher pressure relief setting and acted as a safety valve. Both backpressure relief valves were also fitted with an explosion-proof micro-vibrator to prevent blockages. The preheater and both reaction chambers were equipped with a heating controller and a thermocouple.Two additional thermocouples were installed at one outlet of the heat exchanger and at the end of the cooler. The NMR H (CDCI3) analysis of the single-phase composition was estimated by assigning the 7.26 ppm singlet to CDCI3, the 3.78 ppm singlet to dimethyl carbonate, the 3.66 ppm singlet to FAME, and the 100 ppm singlet to 1000. 3.48 ppm to MeOH and the multiplet at 2.30 ppm to CHsen at the alpha position of the fatty acyl portions of FAME and the fatty acid glycerol ester derivative (see examples 1, 2, 4, 5, 6 and 7). Example 1 Protocol A 1.5% MeOH premix in DMC (premixed methanol (300 mL) and dimethyl carbonate (201 mL)) was pumped into the system at a flow rate of 8.9 mL / min. Simultaneously, waste vegetable oil was pumped independently into the system at a flow rate of 29.2 mL / min, resulting in a TG / DMC / MeOH molar ratio of 1 / 3.5 / 0.1. The system was set up to have a preheater outlet temperature of 210 °C, a reactor 1 outlet temperature of 350 °C, a reactor 2 outlet temperature of 360 °C, and an inlet pressure of 240 bar (24,000 kPa). After reaching equilibrium and further cooling, a single-phase composition was recovered. An NMR ¹H (CDCI3) analysis showed a mixture of fatty acid methyl ester (79%), fatty acid glycerol ester derivatives (10%), dimethyl carbonate (9%), and methanol (2%). The conversion of triglyceride to fatty acid methyl ester was 88.5%. Example 2 Protocol A 1.5% MeOH premix in DMC (premixed methanol (300 mL) and dimethyl carbonate (20 I)) was pumped into the system at a flow rate of 8.3 mL / min. Simultaneously, waste vegetable oil containing the catalytic amount of BHT was pumped into the system at a flow rate of 29.8 mL / min, such that a TG(BHT) / DMC / MeOH molar ratio of 1 / 3.2 / 0.1 was obtained. The system was set up to have a preheater outlet temperature of 150 °C, a reactor 1 outlet temperature of 315 °C, a reactor 2 outlet temperature of 350 °C, and an inlet pressure of 250 bar (25,000 kPa). After reaching equilibrium and further cooling, a single-phase composition was recovered. An NMR ¹H (CDCI3) analysis showed a mixture of fatty acid methyl ester (88%), fatty acid glycerol ester derivatives (5%), dimethyl carbonate (3%), and methanol (5%). The conversion of triglyceride to fatty acid methyl ester was 95%. Example 3 Protocol A 1.5% MeOH premix in DMC (premixed methanol (300 mL) and dimethyl carbonate (20 I)) was pumped into the system at a flow rate of 8.3 mL / min. Simultaneously, waste vegetable oil was pumped into the system at a flow rate of 29.8 mL / min, resulting in a TG / DMC / MeOH molar ratio of 1 / 3.2 / 0.1. The system was set up to have a preheater outlet temperature of 320°C, a reactor 1 outlet temperature of 400°C, a reactor 2 outlet temperature of 400°C, and an inlet pressure of 250 bar (25,000 kPa). After reaching equilibrium and cooling, a single-phase composition was recovered. An external ASTM analysis showed 0.02% free glycerin, 0.1% total glycerin, acid number of 0.1 mg KOH / g, oxidation stability of 2.5 hours, heating value of 15872 BTU / lb, and specific gravity of 0.8956 g / mL, copper corrosion test 1B, pour point of -18 °C, cloud point of -16 °C, viscosity at 40 °CC of 2.2 cst, cetane number of 46.5 and carbon residue of 0.133 %. External GCMS was performed and displayed. FAME as main products along with several minor products that have lower retention times (see figures 5 to 15). Example 4 Protocol Inlet 1, consisting of 3% MeOH in DMC (premixed methanol (540 mL) and dimethyl carbonate (18I)), was pumped into the apparatus at a flow rate of 8.3 mL / min. Simultaneously, inlet 2, consisting of waste vegetable oil containing the catalytic amount of BHT, was pumped into the apparatus at a flow rate of 29.8 mL / min. The molar ratio TG(BHT) / DMC / MeOH was 1 / 3.2 / 0.2. The system was set up to have a preheater outlet temperature of 320 °C, a reactor 1 outlet temperature of 400 °C, a reactor 2 outlet temperature of 400 °C, and an inlet pressure of 250 bar (25,000 kPa). After reaching equilibrium and cooling, a single-phase composition was recovered. Thin-layer chromatography, eluted with a 1 / 9 ratio solution of ethyl acetate in hexanes and revealed with KMnO4 and PMA staining, showed complete conversion of triglyceride. Example 5 Protocol A 1.5% MeOH premix in DMC (premixed methanol (300 mL) and dimethyl carbonate (20 I)) was pumped into the system at a flow rate of 9.9 mL / min. Simultaneously, a mixture of soybean and canola vegetable oil containing catalytic amounts of BHT, BHA, and dimethylsiloxane was pumped into the system at a flow rate of 35.5 mL / min, such that a TG / DMC / MeOH molar ratio of 1 / 3.2 / 0.1 was obtained. The system was set up to have a preheater outlet temperature of 250°C, a reactor 1 outlet temperature of 332°C, a reactor 2 outlet temperature of 328°C, and an inlet pressure of 250 bar (25,000 kPa). After reaching equilibrium and cooling, a single-phase composition was recovered. The NMR H (CDCI3) analysis showed a mixture that was attributed to fatty acid methyl ester (FAME) (14.8%), fatty acid glycerol ester derivatives (66.6%), dimethyl carbonate (18.2%) and methanol (0.3%).The conversion of triglyceride to fatty acid methyl ester was 18%. Example 6 Protocol The biologically sourced triglyceride was prepared as follows. Ninety kilograms of dried canola seed were continuously pressed onto an electric oil press, yielding 60 liters of crude oil along with cake as a mass balance. The crude oil was allowed to settle for 48 hours, then continuously filtered to 0.5 microns over a cellulose pad using a filter press. This freshly filtered oil was pumped into the system at a flow rate of 29.8 mL / min. Simultaneously, a 1.5% MeOH premix in DMC (premixed methanol (300 mL) and dimethyl carbonate (20 liters)) was pumped into the system at a flow rate of 8.3 mL / min, such as to obtain a TG / DMC / MeOH molar ratio of 1 / 3.2 / 0.1. The system was set up to have a preheater outlet temperature of 250 °C, reactor 1 outlet temperature of 380 °C, reactor 2 outlet temperature of 380 °C and inlet pressures of 250 bar (25000 kPa).For the first 50 minutes, the solution produced after cooling was combined with crude oil for retreatment. After this time, equilibrium was considered reached, and the product was collected after cooling, resulting in a 75 L single-phase composition. The viscosity of this Newtonian single-phase solution, measured with an opaque Cannon-Fenske viscometer according to ASTM D445, was 4.9 cSt. NMR ¹H (CDCL3) analysis showed a mixture attributed to fatty acid methyl ester (FAME) (50%), fatty acid glycerol ester derivatives (35%), dimethyl carbonate (14%), and methanol (0.4%). The conversion of triglyceride to fatty acid methyl ester was 59%. Example 7 Protocol The biologically sourced triglyceride was prepared as follows. 20 L of undegraded crude soybean oil were continuously filtered to 0.5 microns over a cellulose pad using a filter press. This freshly filtered oil was pumped into the system at a flow rate of 29.8 mL / min. Simultaneously, a 1.5% MeOH premix in DMC (premixed methanol (300 mL) and dimethyl carbonate (20 L)) was pumped into the system at a flow rate of 8.3 mL / min, such as to obtain a TG / DMC / MeOH molar ratio of 1 / 3.2 / 0.1. The system was set up to have a preheater outlet temperature of 250 °C, a reactor 1 outlet temperature of 290 °C, a reactor 2 outlet temperature of 330 °C, and inlet pressures of 250 bar (25,000 kPa). During the first 50 minutes, the solution produced after cooling was combined with crude oil for retreatment.After this time, equilibrium was considered reached, and the product was collected after cooling, yielding 25 liters of a single-phase composition. The viscosity of this Newtonian single-phase solution, measured with an opaque Cannon-Fenske viscometer according to ASTM D445, was 4.9 cSt. NMR ¹H (CDCL3) analysis revealed a mixture composed of fatty acid methyl ester (FAME) (73%), fatty acid glycerol ester derivatives (16%), dimethyl carbonate (9%), and methanol (1.5%). The conversion of triglyceride to fatty acid methyl ester was 82%.

Claims

CLAIMS 1. A process for the production of a single-phase composition comprising a fatty acid ester, the process being characterized in that it comprises: feeding a reaction mixture comprising a triglyceride of biological origin, a carbonate ester and an alcohol into a reaction chamber under a reaction pressure; heating the reaction mixture to a reaction temperature to effect a transesterification of the triglyceride of biological origin with the carbonate ester under catalysis of the alcohol once in the reaction chamber, thereby forming the single-phase composition comprising the fatty acid ester; and recovering the single-phase composition from the reaction chamber.

2. The process according to claim 1, further characterized in that the reaction mixture is fed continuously and the single-phase composition is recovered from the reaction chamber as a continuous process stream.

3. The process according to claim 1 or 2, further characterized in that it comprises adjusting at least one of: the amount or nature of the biologically sourced triglyceride, the amount or nature of an antioxidant, the amount or nature of the carbonate ester, the amount or nature of the alcohol, the reaction temperature, the reaction pressure; and the reaction time in the reaction chamber.

4. The process according to claim 3, further characterized in that the adjustment is made in response to monitored analytical data of the single-phase composition to meet selected composition specifications and enable full automation.

5. The process according to any of claims 1 to 4, further characterized in that the single-phase composition additionally comprises lipophilic glycerol derivatives, optionally fatty acid glycerol ester derivatives, and optionally additionally, glycerol carbonate esters.

6. The process in accordance with any of claims 1 to 5, further characterized in that the alcohol is present in a catalytic amount between 0.01 and 0.5 eq of alcohol with respect to triglycerides.

7. The process according to any of claims 1 to 6, further characterized in that the conversion of the triglyceride of biological origin into the fatty acid ester is at least 10%, 20%, 30%, 40%, 50%, 60%, 70%, 80% or 90%.

8. The process in accordance with any of claims 1 to 7, further characterized in that the conversion of the triglyceride of biological origin into the fatty acid ester is at least 50%.

9. The process according to any of claims 1 to 8, further characterized in that the conversion of the triglyceride of biological origin into the fatty acid ester is at least 80%. iviA / a / zuzz / ui loor 10. The process in accordance with any of claims 1 to 9, further characterized in that the single-phase composition complies with ASTM D675.

11. The process in accordance with any of claims 1 to 9, further characterized in that the single-phase composition complies with EN14214.

12. The process in accordance with any of claims 1 to 9, further characterized in that the single-phase composition complies with ASTM D6751.

13. The process according to any of claims 1 to 12, further characterized in that the reaction mixture has a molar ratio of biologically sourced triglyceride to carbonate ester between 1:0.1 and 1:

20.

14. The process in accordance with any of claims 1 to 13, further characterized in that the reaction temperature is between 50 °C and 500 °C.

15. The process in accordance with any of claims 1 to 14, further characterized in that the reaction pressure is between 13 (89.6318 kPa) and 5000 lb / in2 (34473.79 kPa).

16. The process in accordance with any of claims 1 to 15, further characterized in that the reaction time is between 0.1 and 120 minutes.

17. The process according to any of claims 1 to 16, further characterized in that feeding the reaction mixture to the reaction chamber comprises premixing the alcohol and the carbonate ester to form a premix and then combining the triglyceride with the premix to form the reaction mixture that is fed to the reaction chamber.

18. The process according to any of claims 1 to 16, further characterized in that the feeding of the reaction mixture comprises feeding a premixture of alcohol and carbonate ester to a first inlet of the reaction chamber, and simultaneously feeding the triglyceride to a second inlet of the reaction chamber.

19. The process according to any of claims 1 to 18, further characterized in that it comprises producing the biological triglyceride from a plant biomass or an animal biomass.

20. The process according to any of claims 1 to 19, further characterized in that it comprises feeding the single-phase composition to an additional reaction chamber before recovering the single-phase composition and subjecting the additional reaction chamber to another reaction temperature and / or another reaction pressure.

21. The process according to any of claims 1 to 20, further characterized in that it comprises preheating the reaction mixture before feeding it into the reaction chamber.

22. The process according to claim 21, further characterized in that the preheating of the reaction mixture comprises independently preheating the triglyceride of biological origin and a mixture of the alcohol and the carbonate ester.

23. The process according to claim 21, further characterized in that the preheating of the reaction mixture comprises independently preheating the biological triglyceride, the alcohol, and the carbonate ester.

24. The process in accordance with any of claims 1 to 23, further characterized in that it comprises cooling the single-phase composition to ambient temperature before recovery thereof.

25. A single-phase composition characterized in that it comprises a fatty acid ester and is produced by the process as defined in any one of claims 1 to 24, wherein: the triglyceride of biological origin is of formula I: Ri 0^0 RiyOvA^OyR' (i) 0 0 , the carbonate ester is of formula II: O r2.0A0-R! (II) the alcohol is of formula III: r-OH (III) R3 and the fatty acid ester is of formula IV: OR ^O'R2'3 (IV) Rl ° ; and wherein Ri is a functional group derived from a fatty acid whose nature may differ from one Ri to another Ri of the triglyceride; and each of R2 and Ra is an alkyl group and an aryl group or a glycerol carbonate derivative.

26. The single-phase composition according to claim 25, further characterized in that a residue of the single-phase composition further comprises lipophilic and soluble glycerol derivatives, optionally glycerol carbonate ester derivatives such as, but not limited to, glycerol carbonate esters (GCE) or optionally further glycerol carbonate derivatives including monoglyceride alkyl (or aryl) carbonates or diglyceride alkyl (or aryl) carbonates of formula V, or formed by the rearrangement or decomposition of glycerol carbonate derivatives of formula V: (V) OR4 R4O^X^OR4 wherein each R4 is a cyclic carbonate, an alkyl carbonate, an aryl carbonate or a fatty acyl portion and wherein each R4 is the same or different from each other.

27. The single-phase composition according to claim 26, further characterized in that the remainder of the single-phase composition consists of lipophilic glycerol derivatives, carbonate ester, and alcohol.

28. The single-phase composition according to any of claims 25 to 27, further characterized in that it comprises at least 80% of the fatty acid ester.

29. The single-phase composition according to any of claims 25 to 28, further characterized in that the carbonate ester is a dialkyl carbonate or a diaryl carbonate, optionally diethyl carbonate, diisopropyl carbonate, diphenyl carbonate, dibutyl carbonate, diisobutyl carbonate, dimethyl carbonate, dibenzyl carbonate, diparatolyl carbonate, dimethylphenyl carbonate or any combination thereof.

30. The single-phase composition according to claim 29, further characterized in that the dialkyl carbonate is dimethyl carbonate.

31. The single-phase composition according to any of claims 25 to 30, further characterized in that the alcohol is alkyl alcohol or aryl alcohol, optionally ethanol, methanol, n-propanol, n-butanol, isopropanol, isobutanol, glycerol, phenol, benzyl alcohol, para-tolyl alcohol, para-methylphenol or any combination thereof.

32. The single-phase composition according to claim 31, further characterized in that the alkyl alcohol is methanol.

33. The single-phase composition according to any of claims 25 to 32, further characterized in that the biological triglyceride is from a vegetable source that is a vegetable oil, an animal source that is an animal fat, or a combination of animal fat and vegetable oil.

34. The single-phase composition according to claim 33, further characterized in that the vegetable oil is soybean oil, canola seed oil, sunflower seed oil, corn germ oil, olive oil, cottonseed oil, rapeseed oil, linseed oil, algae oil, coconut oil, pistachio oil, jatropha oil, any other fruit oil, waste vegetable oils (WVO), or any combination thereof.

35. The single-phase composition according to claim 33, further characterized in that the animal fat is chicken fat, beef tallow, lard, or any combination thereof.

36. The single-phase composition of any of claims 25 to 35, further characterized in that the triglyceride has a saturated acyl group, optionally caprylic acyl, capric acyl, lauric acyl, stearic acyl, arachidic acyl, behenic acyl, lignoceric acyl, cerotic acyl or any combination thereof.

37. The single-phase composition of any of claims 25 to 36, further characterized in that the triglyceride has an unsaturated acyl group, optionally myristoleic acyl, palmitoleic acyl, sapienic acyl, oleic acyl, elaidic acyl, vaccenic acyl, lenoleic acyl, linoeleaidic acyl, arachidonic acyl, eicosapentaenoic acyl, erucic acyl, docosahexaenoic acyl or any combination thereof.

38. The single-phase composition according to any of claims 25 to 37, further characterized in that the fatty acid ester is an alkyl fatty acid ester or an aryl fatty acid ester, optionally fatty acid methyl ester (FAME), fatty acid ethyl ester (FAEE), fatty acid isopropyl ester (FAÍPE), fatty acid butyl ester (FABE), fatty acid phenyl ester (FAPE), fatty acid phenyl ester (FAPE), fatty acid tolyl ester (FATE), fatty acid benzyl ester (FABeE) or any combination thereof.

39. The single-phase composition according to claim 38, further characterized in that the fatty acid alkyl ester is FAME.

40. The single-phase composition according to any of claims 25 to 39, further characterized in that it complies with ASTM D675.

41. The single-phase composition according to any of claims 25 to 39, further characterized in that it complies with EN 14214.

42. The single-phase composition according to any of claims 25 to 39, further characterized in that it complies with ASTM D6751.

43. A reaction mixture for producing a single-phase composition comprising a fatty acid ester by catalytic transesterification, the reaction mixture characterized in that it comprises: a triglyceride of biological origin of formula I; a carbonate ester of formula II: O %''oR> (II); an alcohol of formula III: r-OH (III) 3, wherein Ri is a functional group derived from a fatty acid, the nature of which may differ from one Ri to another Ri of the triglyceride; and each of R2 and R3 is an alkyl or aryl group; wherein a molar ratio of the triglyceride of biological origin to the carbonate ester between 1:0.1 and 1:20; and wherein the alcohol is present in a catalytic amount to maximize the conversion of the triglyceride of biological origin to the fatty acid ester.

44. The reaction mixture according to claim 43, further characterized in that the catalytic amount of alcohol is between 0.01 and 0.5 equivalents with respect to triglycerides.

45. The reaction mixture according to claim 43 or 44, further characterized in that the reaction mixture additionally comprises an antioxidant in association with the triglyceride of biological origin.

46. ​​The reaction mixture according to claim 45, further characterized in that the antioxidant is PY, BHA, PG, BHT or TBHQ.

47. The reaction mixture according to any of claims 43 to 46, further characterized in that the carbonate ester is a dialkyl carbonate or a diaryl carbonate, optionally diethyl carbonate, diisopropyl carbonate, diphenyl carbonate, dibutyl carbonate, diisobutyl carbonate, dimethyl carbonate, dibenzyl carbonate, diparatolyl carbonate, dimethylphenyl carbonate or any combination thereof.

48. The reaction mixture according to claim 47, further characterized in that the dialkyl carbonate is dimethyl carbonate.

49. The reaction mixture according to any of claims 43 to 48, further characterized in that the alcohol is alkyl alcohol or aryl alcohol, optionally ethanol, methanol, isopropanol, isobutanol, n-propanol, n-butanol, glycerol, phenol, benzyl alcohol, para-tolyl alcohol, para-methylphenol or any combination thereof.

50. The reaction mixture according to claim 49, further characterized in that the alkyl alcohol is methanol.

51. The reaction mixture according to any of claims 43 to 50, further characterized in that the triglyceride of biological origin is from a vegetable source that is a vegetable oil, an animal source that is an animal fat, or a combination of animal fat and / or vegetable oil.

52. The reaction mixture according to claim 51, further characterized in that the vegetable oil is soybean oil, canola seed oil, sunflower seed oil, corn germ oil, olive oil, cottonseed oil, rapeseed oil, linseed oil, algae oil, coconut oil, pistachio oil, jatropha oil, any other fruit oil, waste vegetable oils (WVO), or any combination thereof.

53. The single-phase reaction mixture according to claim 51, further characterized in that the animal fat is chicken fat, beef tallow, lard, or any combination thereof.

54. The reaction mixture according to any of claims 43 to 53, further characterized in that the triglyceride has a saturated acyl group, optionally caprylic acyl, capric acyl, lauric acyl, stearic acyl, arachidic acyl, behenic acyl, lignoceric acyl, cerotic acyl or any combination thereof.

55. The reaction mixture according to any of claims 43 to 54, further characterized in that the triglyceride has an unsaturated acyl group, optionally myristoleic acyl, palmitoleic acyl, sapienic acyl, oleic acyl, elaidic acyl, vaccenic acyl, lenoleic acyl, linoeleaidic acyl, arachidonic acyl, eicosapentaenoic acyl, erucic acyl, docosahexaenoic acyl, or any combination thereof.

56. The use of the single-phase composition as defined in any of claims 25 to 42, as a biofuel, a lubricant, as a biocomponent of an aircraft fuel, as a biocomponent of a diesel fuel, as a biocomponent of a lubricant.

57. A composition characterized in that it comprises the single-phase composition as defined in any of claims 25 to 42, and an additive selected for diesel, jet fuel, or lubricant applications.

58. The composition according to claim 57, further characterized in that it comprises from 1 to 99% of the single-phase composition.

59. The composition according to claim 57 or 58, further characterized in that the additive is petroleum diesel, jet fuel, ethanol, acetoacetic esters, dicarboxylic ester, ethylene glycol monoacetate, 2-hydroxyethyl esters, diethylene glycol dimethyl ether, sorbitan monooleate, polyoxyethylene sorbitan monooleate, dibutyl maleate, tripropylene glycol monomethyl ester, dimethyl ether, dimethyl carbonate, dimethoxymethane, 1-octylamino-3-octyloxy-2-propanol, N-octyl nitrite, dimethoxypropane, dimethoxyethane, diesel, dialkyl peroxide, diaryl peroxides, 2-ethylhexyl nitrate, pyrogallol, propyl gallate, tert-butylhydroquinone (TBHQ), hydroxyanisole butylated (BHA), polyacrylate, polymethacrylates, or poly(ethylene-co-vinyl acetate).

60. A method for maximizing the conversion of triglycerides of biological origin into fatty acid esters, characterized in that it comprises: combining the triglycerides of biological origin with a carbonate ester in the presence of an alcohol, under catalytic transesterification conditions, wherein the molar ratio of the triglyceride of biological origin to the carbonate ester is between 1:0.1 and 1:20 and the molar ratio of the triglyceride of biological origin to the alcohol is between 1:0.01 and 1:0.

5.

61. A system for producing a single-phase composition as defined in any of claims 25 to 42, the system characterized in that it comprises: a reaction unit for receiving the reaction mixture comprising the bio-based triglyceride, the carbonate ester, and the alcohol; a heating assembly configured to heat the reaction mixture to the reaction temperature; a pumping assembly configured to deliver the reaction mixture to the reaction unit at a reaction stoichiometry; and a cooling assembly receiving and cooling the formed single-phase composition to ambient temperature.

62. The system according to claim 61, further characterized in that the reaction unit comprises at least one reaction chamber.

63. The system according to claim 62, further characterized in that the at least one reaction chamber is a tubular reactor, a batch reactor, or a microfluidic reactor.

64. The system according to any of claims 61 to 63, further characterized in that it comprises a control assembly that operationally controls at least one of: the quantity or nature of the triglyceride of biological origin, the quantity or nature of an antioxidant, the quantity or nature of the carbonate ester, the quantity or nature of the alcohol, the reaction temperature, the reaction pressure; and the reaction time in the reaction chamber.

65. The system according to claim 64, further characterized in that the control assembly comprises a thermocouple located in the reaction assembly and a heating controller operatively connected to the thermocouple and the heating assembly.

66. The system in accordance with any of claims 61 to 65, further characterized in that it additionally comprises a backpressure valve for maintaining the reaction pressure in the reaction unit.

67. The system according to any of claims 61 to 66, further characterized in that it additionally comprises a monitoring assembly that includes an online analytical device for monitoring the physicochemical characteristics of the single-phase composition and the reaction conditions in the reaction unit.

68. The system according to any of claims 61 to 67, further characterized in that it comprises a production unit that converts animal biomass or plant biomass into the biologically sourced triglyceride comprising the reaction mixture.

69. The system according to claim 68, further characterized in that it is a microplant located in an installation that generates plant or animal biomass.

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