Method of preparing alkyd resin from isophthalic acid

Claim 1

IN THE PROCESS OF PREPARING ALKYD RESINS WHEREIN (I) A POLYHYDRIC ALCOHOL SELECTED FROM THE CLASS CONSISTING OF ETHYLENEGLYCOL, DIETHYLENEGLYCOL, PROPYLENEGLYCOL, DIPROPYLENEGLYCOL, GLYCEROL, TRIMETHYLOL ETHANE, PENTAERYTHRITOL, DIPENTAERYTHRITOL, SORBITOL AND MANNITOL AND (II) A BENZENECARBOXYLIC ACID SELECTED FROM THE CLASS CONSISTING OF (1) ISOPHTHALIC ACID AND (2) MIXTURES OF ISOPHTHALIC ACID AND AN ACID SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF PHTHALIC MELLITIC ANHYDRIDE AND HEMIMELLITIC ACID, WHEREIN SAID ISOPHTHALIC ACID IS THE MAJOR COMPONENT OF SAID MIXTURE, ARE REACTED AT A TEMPERATURE ON THE ORDER OF 180*C. TO 300* C., WHILE CONTINUOUSLY REMOVING WATER PRODUCED IN THE REACTION AND RETURNING CONDENSED REACTANTS TO SAID REACTION ZONE BY WAY OF A REFLUX CONDENSER MEANS, UNTIL THE ACID NUMBER AND VISCOSITY DESIRED FOR THE ALKYD RESIN PRODUCT HAVE BEEN OBTAINED AND WHEREIN SAID REFLUX MEANS WOULD BECOME SUBSTANTIALLY PLUGGED, OVER THE COURSE OF THE REACTION TIME, BY THE FORMATION THEREIN OF A FLUFFY SOLID PHASE COMPRISING ISOPHTHALIC ACID, THE IMPROVEMENT WHEREBY SAID PLUGGING IS ESSENTIALLY ELIMINATED BY CARRYING OUT SAID REACTION IN THE PRESENCE OF A SOLUTION CONSISTING OF BETWEEN ABOUT 25-65 VOLUME PERCENT OF N-BUTANOL AND 75-35 VOLUME PERCENT OF NORMALLY LIQUID BENZENE HYDROCARBON, SAID SOLUTION BEING PRESENT IN AN AMOUNT BETWEEN ABOUT 2 AND 5 WEIGHT PERCENT BASED ON REACTANTS CHARGED TO SAID REACTION ZONE, WHEREBY SAID ALKYD RESIN REACTION IS ENABLED TO BE CARRIED OUT WITH THE AFORESAID REFLUX CONDENSER MEANS MAINTAINED SUBSTANTIALLY FREE OF THE AFORESAID FLUFFY SOLID PHASE.