Mixtures of carboxylic acid salts and carboxylic acid esters and their use as siccatives for oxidatively drying lacquers

A process for the production of a composition which comprises by mixing 10 to 90 wt. % of a carboxylic acid corresponding to formula (III) ##STR6## with 10 to 90 wt. of a carboxylic acid ester corresponding to formula (II) ##STR7## and within, 20 to 60 minutes, adding a stoichiometric quantity, based on the carboxylic acid of formula (III), of a basic metal salt corresponding to formula (IV)

• (M.sup.n+)(Y-).sub.2 (IV),
• wherein
• M represents a metal cation,
• x represents a C.sub.6 -.sub.14 aliphatic and/or aromatic carboxylate,
• Y represents OH, O or CO.sub.3,
• R.sup.1 represents a saturated or unsaturated aliphatic C.sub.14 -C.sub.22 residue,
• R.sup.2 represents a C.sub.1 -C.sub.4 alkyl group and
• n represents an integer from 1 to 5,
• in such a manner that the temperature does not exceed 90.degree. C. and removing the water formed as a by-product by distillation at a bottom temperature of 90.degree. to 150.degree. C.