Transesterification of vegetable oils is an important reaction that produces fatty acid
alkyl esters that are valuable intermediates in oleo chemistry, and methyl and ethyl esters
which are excellent substitutes for diesel fuel. Transesterification as an industrial process
is usually carried out by heating an excess of the alcohol with vegetable oils under
different reaction conditions in the presence of an inorganic catalyst. The most commonly
used catalysts are alkali hydroxides and alcoholates. Transesterification is also possible
under acidic conditions, but this process requires higher reaction temperatures.