Patent ID: 7960497

Claim:
A process for the preparation of alkyl ketene dimers, comprising in sequence the steps of: (a) charging a polyamine to a reaction vessel, and then heating the polyamine to a temperature ranging from about 50° C. to about 70° C.; (b) charging a fatty acid chloride to the reaction vessel containing the polyamine over a time period ranging from about 30-90 minutes, thereby forming a reaction mixture comprising an alkyl ketene dimer/amine salt; (c) adding an amount of water to the reaction mixture wherein an organic alkyl ketene dimer layer and an aqueous salt layer are formed; (d) separating the organic alkyl ketene dimer layer and the aqueous salt layer, wherein the polyamine used in the process is present in amounts ranging from about 0.5 to less than 1.0 equivalents per mole equivalent of fatty acid chloride.