Process for the manufacture of levulinic acid and esters
US4236021A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | May 7, 1979 |
| Grant date | Nov 25, 1980 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | May 7, 1999 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC C)Chemistry; Metallurgy
- CPC primaryC07C67/54
- WIPO fieldOrganic fine chemistry
- WIPO sectorChemistry
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.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.