Secondary Alcohols and Esters Made Therefrom

A process comprising reacting an olefin with a carboxylic acid in the presence of a zeolite under predetermined conditions, said zeolite and said conditions suitable to produce a product comprising a mixture of alkyl carboxylate esters, including an α-methylalkyl carboxylate ester and other isomers of said alkyl carboxylate esters, wherein the ratio of said α-methylalkyl carboxylate ester to said other isomers is greater than 1, followed by converting at least a portion of the mixture of the alkyl carboxylate esters to a high C2—OH content secondary alcohol mixture by a method selected from hydrolysis, hydrogenation, and chemical reduction, with subsequent reaction of the secondary alcohol mixture with dicarboxylic acids or tricarboxylic acids or their anhydrides to produce plasticizing esters.