Process of esterifying butyl lactate

Claim 1

THE METHOD OF FORMING AN ESTER FROM A CRUDE AQUEOUS SOLUTION OF AN ORGANIC ACID CONTAINING A SUBSTANCE CONTINGING SUSPENDED AND INSOLUBLE SOLIDS, WHICH METHOD COMPRISES CONTINUOUSLY INTRODUCING SAID SOLUTION, TOGETHER WITH A SUFFICIENT AMOUNT OF AN ALCOHOL TO ESTERIFY WITH ALL OF TH FREE AND COMBINED ORGANIC ACID IN SAID SOLUTION, INTO THE LAST EFFECT OF A MULTIPLE EFFECT EVAPORATOR, IN WHICH A SUBSTANTIALLY FIXED LEVEL OF LIQUID IS MAINTAINED, CONTINUOUSLY WITHDRAWING LIQUID FORM SAID LAST EFFECT, AND CONTINUOUSLY PASSING THE WIGHDRAWN LIWYID SUCCESSIVELY THROUGH THE EARLIER EFFECTS IN WHICH SUBSTANTIALLY FIXED LIQUID LEVELS ARE ALSO MAINTAINED, CONTINUOUSLY REMOVING ESTER-CONTAINING LIQUID FROM THE FIRST EFFECT, SIMULTANEOUSLY HEATING THE LIQUIDS IN EACH EVAPORATING VESSEL AND RETARDING THE ACCUMULATION OF ORGANIC SOLIDS IN TH BOTTOM OF THE EVAPORATING VESSELS BY WITHDRAWING LIQUID FROM THE UPPER PORTION OF THE BODY OF LIQUID IN EACH VESSEL, PASSING THE LIQUID THROUGH A HEAT EXCHANGER, RETURNING IT TO THE BOTTOM OF ITS RESPECTIVE VESSEL AND DISTRIVUTING IT TANGENTIALLY IN SUBSTANTIALLY ALL DIRECTIONS ACROSS THE BOTTOM OF THE VESSEL WITH SUFFICIENT VELOCITY TO RETARDD ACCUMULATION OF SOLIDS IN THE BOTTOM OF THE VESSEL, UTILIZING THE HEAT OF THE VAPORS ENVOLVED IN EACH EFFECT EXCEPT THE LAST TO SUPPLY HEAT TO THE NEXT SUCCEEDING EFFECT AND SUPPLYING EXTERNALLY GENERATED HEAT TO THE HEAT EXCHANGER OF THE FIRST EFFECT.

Claim 2

THE METHOD OF FORMING AN ESTER FROM A CRUDE AQUEOUS SOLUTION OF AN ORGANIC ACID CONTAINING A SUBSTANCE CONTINGING SUSPENDED AND INSOLUBLE SOLIDS, WHICH METHOD COMPRISES CONTINUOUSLY INTRODUCING SAID SOLUTION, TOGETHER WITH A SUFFICIENT AMOUNT OF AN ALCOHOL TO ESTERIFY WITH ALL OF TH FREE AND COMBINED ORGANIC ACID IN SAID SOLUTION, INTO THE LAST EFFECT OF A MULTIPLE EFFECT EVAPORATOR, IN WHICH A SUBSTANTIALLY FIXED LEVEL OF LIQUID IS MAINTAINED, CONTINUOUSLY WITHDRAWING LIQUID FORM SAID LAST EFFECT, AND CONTINUOUSLY PASSING THE WIGHDRAWN LIWYID SUCCESSIVELY THROUGH THE EARLIER EFFECTS IN WHICH SUBSTANTIALLY FIXED LIQUID LEVELS ARE ALSO MAINTAINED, CONTINUOUSLY REMOVING ESTER-CONTAINING LIQUID FROM THE FIRST EFFECT, SIMULTANEOUSLY HEATING THE LIQUIDS IN EACH EVAPORATING VESSEL AND RETARDING THE ACCUMULATION OF ORGANIC SOLIDS IN TH BOTTOM OF THE EVAPORATING VESSELS BY WITHDRAWING LIQUID FROM THE UPPER PORTION OF THE BODY OF LIQUID IN EACH VESSEL, PASSING THE LIQUID THROUGH A HEAT EXCHANGER, RETURNING IT TO THE BOTTOM OF ITS RESPECTIVE VESSEL AND DISTRIVUTING IT TANGENTIALLY IN SUBSTANTIALLY ALL DIRECTIONS ACROSS THE BOTTOM OF THE VESSEL WITH SUFFICIENT VELOCITY TO RETARDD ACCUMULATION OF SOLIDS IN THE BOTTOM OF THE VESSEL, UTILIZING THE HEAT OF THE VAPORS ENVOLVED IN EACH EFFECT EXCEPT THE LAST TO SUPPLY HEAT TO THE NEXT SUCCEEDING EFFECT AND SUPPLYING EXTERNALLY GENERATED HEAT TO THE HEAT EXCHANGER OF THE FIRST EFFECT.