Abstract:
The present invention is a process for preparing a sorbate ester comprising the steps of: a) contacting together in a reaction vessel a first organic solvent, sorbic acid, a catalytic amount of TiC14, an anti-oxidant, and an alkylene oxide under conditions sufficient to form a mixture of the sorbate ester and residual water-soluble impurities; then b) separating the sorbate ester from the residual water-soluble impurities by washing. Sorbate esters can be prepared in an efficient and cost-effective manner by the process of the present invention.
Abstract:
The present invention is a process for preparing a hydroxyalkyl sorbate comprising the steps of of: a) contacting together in a reaction vessel a solvent, sorbic acid, a transition metal halide catalyst, an anti-oxidant, and an alkylene oxide under conditions sufficient to form the hydroxyalkyl sorbate; b) removing the solvent in vacuo, wherein the anti-oxidant is characterized by the following formula or a carboxylic acid salt thereof: wherein Y, x, and R1 are defined herein. The process of the present invention provides a convenient way of preparing hydroxyalkyl sorbates in high yield and purity without complicated workup steps.
Abstract:
The present invention is a composition comprising a stable aqueous dispersion of polymer particles and a sorbate ester, which is a liquid at 20° C. and has a molecular weight in the range of 125 to 500 g/mol. The composition of the present invention provides a way to enhance film formation of coatings prepared using relatively high Tg latexes without the aid of high volatile organic content (VOC) coalescents.