Patent ID: 9255059
Filing Date: 2016-02-09
CPC Classification: C07C

Claim Text:
1. A method of making an alkyl 3-hydroxybutyrate, said method comprising: (a) reacting an alkyl alcohol with diketene to provide a first reaction mixture comprising an alkyl acetoacetate; and (b) hydrogenating at least a portion of said alkyl acetoacetate in said first reaction mixture to thereby provide a hydrogenated product stream comprising alkyl 3-hydroxybutyrate, wherein said alkyl group on the alkyl 3-hydroxybutyrate comprises an isopropyl group, n-propyl group, isobutyl group, n-butyl group, 2-butyl (sec-butyl) group, 2,2-dimethylethyl (tert-butyl) group, 3,3-dimethylpentyl (isopentyl) group, 1-pentyl (n-pentyl) group, 1-methylbutyl(2-pentyl) group, 2-methylbutyl group, 2-ethylpropyl(3-pentyl) group, 1,1-dimethylpropyl group, 1,2-dimethylpropyl group, 2,2-dimethylpropyl (neopentyl) group, or a cyclopentyl group, wherein said hydrogenating includes contacting at least a portion of said first reaction mixture with a hydrogen-containing gas and then heating the resulting mixture to a hydrogenation temperature in the range of from about 70° C. to about 90° C., in the presence of a hydrogenation catalyst.