Method of neutralizing and completely removing salts before distilling crude high-boiling esters

Claim 1

IN THE PREPARATION OF HIGH-BOILING ESTERS BY DIRECT ESTERIFICATION OF A MONOHYDRIC HYDROCARBON ALCOHOL AND AN ACID AND SEPARATION OF THE ESTER SO OBTAINED BY DISTILLATION FROM THE REACTION MIXTURE, THE IMPROVEMENT WHICH INCLUDES THE STEPS OF ADDING TO THE REACTION MIXTURE WHICH COMPRISES CRUDE ESTER, ACID ESTERIFICATION CATALYST, ALCOHOL AND ACIDIC IMPURITIES, A QUANTITY OF AN AQUEOUS SOLUTION OF A WEAKLY ALKALINE SALT JUST SUFFICIENT TO NEUTRALIZE SAID ACID ESTERIFICATION CATALYST, DISTILLING OFF LOW BOILERS, ADDING A FURTHER QUANTITY OF AN AQUEOUS SOLUTION OF A WEAKLY ALKALINE SALT SUFFICIENT TO COMPLETELY NEUTRALIZE SAID CRUDE ESTER-CONTAINING REACTION MIXTURE, SEPARATING SUBSTANTIALLY ALL THE SALTS SO PRODUCED FROM THE WET CRUDE ESTER, COMPLETELY DRYING THE WET CRUDE ESTER, AND REMOVING ANY SALTS STILL CONTAINED THEREIN FROM THE CRUDE ESTER.