Process for the manufacture of levulinic acid and esters
First Claim
1. In the process for the manufacture of a levulinic acid ester which comprises the esterification of furfuryl alcohol with a different alcohol selected from the group consisting of unsubstituted primary and secondary carbon-chain aliphatic and carbon-ring cycloaliphatic alcohols of 1-10 carbon atoms in the presence of a strong acid catalyst, the improvement comprising purification of the crude levulinate ester by vacuum distillation of said levulinate in admixture with at least 3 percent by volume of the levulinate of a solvent which (a) has the boiling point of at least 20°
- C. higher than the boiling point of the levulinate ester, (b) dissolves the by-product polymer tar and (c) is miscible with the levulinate ester.
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Abstract
An improved process for the manufacture of levulinic acid which comprises esterification of furfuryl alcohol in the presence of a different alcohol selected from unsubstituted primary and secondary carbon-chain or carbon-ring alcohols containing 1 to 10 carbon atoms in the presence of a small amount of acid as a catalyst, purification of the resulting levulinate ester by vacuum distillation of a mixture of the levulinate ester and a high boiling solvent and hydrolysis of the purified levulinate ester in the presence of water and a small amount of strong acid catalyst to yield levulinic acid-water mixture. The improvement resides in the purification being carried out prior to hydrolysis and in using a high boiling solvent in the purification step to prevent the formation of a solid resin.
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Citations
8 Claims
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1. In the process for the manufacture of a levulinic acid ester which comprises the esterification of furfuryl alcohol with a different alcohol selected from the group consisting of unsubstituted primary and secondary carbon-chain aliphatic and carbon-ring cycloaliphatic alcohols of 1-10 carbon atoms in the presence of a strong acid catalyst, the improvement comprising purification of the crude levulinate ester by vacuum distillation of said levulinate in admixture with at least 3 percent by volume of the levulinate of a solvent which (a) has the boiling point of at least 20°
- C. higher than the boiling point of the levulinate ester, (b) dissolves the by-product polymer tar and (c) is miscible with the levulinate ester.
- View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
Specification