Patent ID: 7728156

Claim:
A process for production of an anhydrosugar alcohol comprising: providing a solid acid catalyst comprising at least one member selected from the group consisting of an acid resin catalyst, a heteropoly acid, meso-porous silicas, acid clays, sulfated zirconia, molecular sieves, and; exposing a first starting material consisting of a sugar alcohol and optionally water to the solid acid catalyst; in the presence of the solid acid catalyst, converting at least some of the sugar alcohol in the first starting material to an anhydrosugar alcohol and forming a polymeric byproduct material; washing the solid acid catalyst with an organic solvent to remove polymeric byproduct material from the solid acid catalyst; after the washing, exposing a second starting material comprising a sugar alcohol to the solid acid catalyst; and in the presence of the solid acid catalyst, converting an amount of the sugar alcohol in the second starting material to an anhydrosugar alcohol.