Process for preparing resinous materials

Claim 1

AN ESTERIFICATION PROCESS COMPRISING; (A) HEAT-REACTING A POLYHYDRIC ALCOHOL AND A POLYCARBOXYLIC ACID AT A TEMPERATURE ABOVE 150* C. WHILE PASSING AN INERT, ORGANIC, NORMALLY-LIQUID, WATERIMMISCIBLE SOLVENT HAVING A BOILING POINT BELOW ABOUT 150* C. THROUGH THE REACTANTS SO AS TO VAPORIZED SAID SOLVENT, THEREBY REMOVING, FROM THE REACTION SPHERE, VAPORIZED WATER OF ESTERIFICATION AND VAPORIZED UNREACHED REACTANTS, (B) ABSORBING SAID UNREACHED REACTANTS IN A REFLUXING SOLVENT STREAM IN A DISTILLATION COLUMN WITHOUT CONDENSING THE INERT SOLVENT AND WATER, (C) CONDENSING SAID VOLATILIZED SOLVENT AND WATER VAPOR, (D) SEPARATING THE CONDENSED SOLVENT FROM THE WATER, (E) RECOMBINING SAID SOLVENT WITH THE CONDENSED REACTANTS AND (F) RETURNING SAID SOLVENT AND UNRAEACHED REACTANTS TO THE REACTION SPHERE BELOW THE LEVEL OF THE LIQUID REACTION MIXTURE IN SAID SPHERE WHEREIN SAID SOLVENT BOILS BELOW THE TEMPERATURE OF THE REACTION MASS UNDER THE CONDITIONS OF THE REACTION.