Patent ID: 8344174

Claim:
A process for the catalysed esterification of reactants comprising at least one of an acid or an acid anhydride, and an alcohol, to produce at least one of a plasticizer ester for polyvinylchloride (PVC) from a C 4 to C 15 monohydric alcohol or a polyol ester from a polyol and a fatty acid, which process comprises a batch reaction sequence that comprises: (i) providing a mixture of the at least one of an acid or an acid anhydride with the alcohol at an initial temperature, wherein said initial temperature is from 135° C. to 180° C., in a reaction vessel, (ii) raising the temperature of the mixture to a desired esterification reaction temperature, wherein said desired esterification reaction temperature is from 210° C. to 230° C., to effect esterification, and (iii) boiling off water by-product produced in the esterification reaction, wherein the pressure in the reaction vessel is elevated as the temperature of the mixture is raised during at least the initial phase of raising the temperature of the mixture, thereby reducing reactant vaporisation, and an esterification catalyst is introduced into the mixture at a predetermined mixture temperature, wherein said predetermined mixture temperature is from 175° C. to 220° C., that is below the desired esterification reaction temperature and above the initial temperature of the mixture.