Method of preparing hydroxyalkylcarboxylic acid esters
AssigneeBASF SE
InventorsMiriam Kolk, Konstantinos Scholinakis, Eike Ulf Mahnke, Lutz Hilterhaus, Volker Winterhoff
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Abstract
A method of preparing an ester by reacting a carboxylic acid with a (C1-C36)alcohol in the presence of a catalyst that is suitable for preparing carboxylic acid esters of monomeric carboxylic acids in high yield. The method reduces by-products of the reaction, in particular esters of dimeric, trimeric and/or oligomeric carboxylic acids. The method requires a minimal excess of alcohol and does not require removal of water and/or carboxylic acid ester from the reaction mixture. The method is particularly suitable for the reaction of hydroxyalkylcarboxylic acids and fatty alcohols.
Claims15
A method of preparing an ester by reacting a carboxylic acid of formula (I):
- wherein
- R0 is —H or —OR3;
- R1 is —H, —(C1-C6)alkyl, —(C1-C6)alkylCOOR3, —COOR3 or —OR3;
- R2 is —H, —(C1-C6)alkyl, —(C1-C6)alkylCOOR3 or (C6-C10)aryl, wherein R2 is optionally substituted with —OR3 and/or —COOR3;
- R3 is —H;
- m is 0, 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5;
- with a (C1-C36)alcohol;
- wherein the reaction is carried out in the presence of a catalyst,
- wherein the catalyst is selected from the group consisting of 1-hydroxyethanesulfonic acid, 2-hydroxyethanesulfonic acid, and aluminiummesylate,
- wherein the (C1-C36)alcohol is a C6-C36 Guerbet alcohol of formula (VI):
- wherein
- p is 0 to 15;
- and
- wherein the reaction takes place at a temperature of 50-220° C.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.