A process of making biodiesel from crude tall oil by reacting crude tall
oil with a C.sub.1-C.sub.6 alkanol in the presence of an acid catalyst or
by reacting crude tall oil with an acyl halide in the presence of a
C.sub.1-C.sub.6 alkanol. The reaction product of either of these
reactions is separated into a suspension liquid by the addition of a
polar liquid. The biodiesel product is recovered from the suspension
liquid by addition of an organic solvent which produces a polar liquid
phase and an organic liquid phase. The biodiesel is recovered from the
organic liquid phase by evaporating the organic solvent, which is
recovered for use in subsequent separation processes, and vacuum
distilling off the product biodiesel from the organic solvent-free
organic liquid phase.