Patent ID: 8242287

Claim:
A method of synthesizing alkenyl succinic anhydride comprising: reacting two reagents one of which is an olefin and one of which is a maleic anhydride, according to an ene reaction for at least 7 hours to form a product which comprises alkenyl succinic anhydride; and adding a boron bearing compound and an aromatic/antioxidant compound to at least one of the reagents prior to the reaction, wherein: the ratio of boron bearing compound to aromatic/antioxidant compound is within the range of 8:1 to 21:1 and thereby are in an amount effective in reducing char formation, and are in an amount effective in reducing the degradation of at least one of the reagents into a gas by at least one of the compounds, the molar amount of olefin is no more than 20% of the molar amount of the maleic anhydride and no significant char results from the reaction and the yield of the alkenyl succinic anhydride is greater than a similar reaction in which the molar amount of olefin is at least more than 50% of the molar amount of the maleic anhydride and the ratio of boron bearing compound to aromatic/antioxidant compound is 1:1, and the boron bearing compound and the aromatic/antioxidant compound are added in an amount effective in reducing the degradation of at least one of the reagents into at least one gas selected from the list consisting of: carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, and ethyne.