Patent ID: 6491795
Filing Date: 2002-12-10
Classification: C07C,Y10S

Abstract:
A process for recovering benzyl benzoate, which comprises:oxidizing a reaction mixture of toluene with molecular oxygen in the presence of a metal catalyst; removing unreacted toluene and benzoic acid from the reaction mixture to produce a residue; distilling said residue remaining after removal of unreacted toluene and benzoic acid from the reaction mixture, thereby separating a fraction of benzyl benzoate containing at least 80 wt% benzyl benzoate, at most 10 wt % benzoic acid and at least 10 wt% fluorenone; purifying the fraction of benzyl benzoate by crystallization wherein the purification is effected by recrystallizing said benzyl benzoate in a solvent for recrystallization while controlling a cooling temperature in the range of 10Â° C. to âˆ’30Â° C. during recrystallization; and recovering benzyl benzoate of at least 99.5% purity.