Process for making monomenthyl esters
AssigneeMillennium Specialty Chemicals, Inc.
InventorsMark B. Erman, Joe W. Snow, Mikhail Y. Lebedev
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A process for making monomenthyl esters of dicarboxylic acids is disclosed. Menthol reacts with a saturated, cyclic anhydride in the presence of a base catalyst under conditions effective to produce a mixture of mono- and bis-menthyl esters in which the molar ratio of mono- to bis-menthyl esters is enhanced compared with the ratio of esters produced in a similar uncatalyzed process.
Claims8
A process which comprises reacting menthol with a saturated, cyclic anhydride in the presence of a base catalyst selected from the group consisting of alkali metal or alkaline earth metal salts, oxides, hydroxides, and mixtures thereof, under conditions effective to produce a mixture of mono- and bis-menthyl esters, wherein the molar ratio of cyclic anhydride to menthol is less than 2:1, and wherein the molar ratio of mono- to bis-menthyl esters is enhanced compared with a similar uncatalyzed process.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.