GB894244A - Improvements in or relating to the preparation of 10-hydroxydecanoic acid and 10-acetoxydecanoic acid - Google Patents

Abstract

A process for isolating as 10-acetoxydecanoic acid the 10-hydroxydecanoic acid produced by heating ricinoleic acid, or a salt or ester, thereof with aqueous alkali metal hydroxide and contained in the oily residue obtained after removing from the reaction mixture first octanol-2 and octanone-2 by distillation and then sebacic acid by hot water extraction after acidification with mineral acid, comprises reacting said oily residue with an acylating agent and thereafter separating 10-acetoxydecanoic acid from the reaction mixture by fractional distillation, either directly or after pouring the reaction mixture on to water or ice and separating the oily layer (e.g. by solvent extraction) and distilling this. In a modification, the oily residue, prior to acetylation, is first treated with a solvent, e.g. light petroleum, which selectively dissolves at least part of the fatty acids or fatty acids and phenols present therein, and separating a residue containing 10-hydroxydecanoic acid, which is then acylated. The 10-acetoxydecanoic acid may be hydrolysed to 10-hydroxydecanoic acid. Specification 867,771 is referred to.