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US 3,944,572 AGranted
Lactones
AssigneeLaporte Industries Limited
InventorsIan Robert King, Francis R. F. Hardy
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A .delta.- or .epsilon.- lactone is heated in the vapour phase and the presence of a cracking catalyst to form a monounsaturated acyclic carboxylic acid. For example .epsilon.-caprolactone gives .delta. - .epsilon. hexenoic acid. This acid is then cyclised by heating with a strong protonating agent. In the example the product is .gamma.-caprolactone or 4-hexanolactone.
Claims6
A process for the production of a .gamma.-caprolactone comprising
- a. heating an .epsilon.-caprolactone in the vapour phase at a temperature below 400.degree.C in the presence of a cracking catalyst selected from the group consisting of aluminosilicates and refractory oxides to form a mono-unsaturated acyclic carboxylic acid and
- b. cyclising said mono-unsaturated acyclic carboxylic acid by contacting it with a catalyst comprising a strong protonating agent, selected from the group consisting of strong acids, cation exchange resins in the free acid form, and strongly acidic mixtures containing hydrogen ions.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.