Patent ID: 6504003
Filing Date: 2003-01-07
Classification: C07C,C07H

Abstract:
A process for synthesizing polyol fatty acid polyesters comprising the steps of:(1) mixing ingredients comprising (a) unesterified first polyol having hydroxyl groups, (b) second polyol esterified with fatty acids, (c) basic catalyst, and (d) emulsifying agent to form a mixture of ingredients; (2) reacting the mixture of ingredients at a temperature sufficient to obtain a transesterification reaction mixture comprising ingredients, transesterification reaction products and by-products, wherein the mixture of ingredients is reacted at a temperature of from about 15 C. to about 350 C.; (3) removing at least a portion of the by-products from the transesterification reaction mixture; and (4) further reacting the transesterification reaction products and ingredients from step (3) at a temperature and for a time sufficient to esterify at least about 50% of the hydroxyl groups of the first polyol; wherein the unesterified first polyol is selected from the group consisting of monosaccharides, disaccharides, oligosaccharides, polysaccharides, sugar alcohols, sugar ethers, polyglycerols and polyalkoxylated glycerols; and wherein the second polyol is derived from hydrogenated and unhydrogenated naturally occurring oils selected from the group consisting of soybean oil, cottonseed oil, palm kernel oil, palm oil, coconut oil, sunflower oil, safflower oil, corn oil, cottonseed oil, peanut oil, canola oil, high erucic acid rapeseed oil, hydrogenated high erucic acid rapeseed oil and mixtures thereof; and wherein the basic catalyst is selected from the group consisting of alkali metals, alloys of alkali metals, alkali metal hydrides, alkali metal alkoxides, alkali metal carbonates, alkali metal bicarbonates, and mixtures thereof.