Method of preparing acyclic carboxylic acids

Claim 1

IN A PROCESS WHEREIN AN OLEFIN IS REACTED WITH A FINELY DIVIDED ALKALI METAL IN THE PRESENCE OF A LIQUID REACTION MEDIUM AND A POLYCYCLIC AROMATIC HYDROCARBON TO PRODUCE A METALATION REACTION MIXTURE COMPRISING ALKALI METAL DERIVATIVES OF SAID OLEFIN INCLUDING DIALKALI METAL DERIVATIVES OF DIMERS OF SAID OLEFIN, THE METALATION REACTION MIXTURE IS SUBJECTED TO CARBONATION TO CONVERT SAID ALKALI METAL DERIVATIVES TO ALKALI METAL SALTS OF CARBOXYLIC ACIDS INCLUDING THE CONVERSION OF SAID DIALKALI METAL DERIVATIVES TO DIALKALI METAL SALTS OF DICARBOXYLIC ACIDS HAVING TWO MORE CARBON ATOMS PER MOLECULE THAN THE DIMERS OF SAID OLEFIN TO PRODUCE A CARBONATED MIXTURE COMPRISING SOLID COMPONENTS INCLUDING SAID SALTS AND A LIQUID PHASE INCLUDING SAID LIQUID REACTION MEDIUM, AND THE ALKALI METAL SALT COMPONENTS OF SAID CARBONATION REACTION MIXTURE ARE SUBJECTED TO AT LEAST ONE OF THE CONDITIONS CONSISTING OF AN ELEVATED TEMPERATURE AND CONTACT WITH AN AQUEOUS MEDIUM, THE IMPROVEMENT WHICH COMPRISES SEPARATING THE SOLID COMPONENTS FROM THE LIQUID PHASE OF THE CARBONATION REACTION MIXTURE AT A TEMPERATURE OF BELOW ABOUT O*C. PRIOR TO SUBJECTING SAID SOLID COMPONENTS TO EITHER OF SAID CONDITIONS.