Process for the production of

Claim 1

THE PROCESS WHICH COMPRISES THE STEPS OF FORMING A PARTIAL ESTER OF A POLYHYDRIC ALCOHOL SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF NEOPENTYL TRIHYDRIC ALCOHOLS, NEOPENTYL TETRAHYDRIC ALCOHOLS, AND MIXTURES THEREOF BY HEATING SAID POLYHYDRIC ALCOHOL WITH AN ACID SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF ALKANOIC ACIDS CONTAINING FROM 1 TO 18 CARBON ATOMS AND ANHYDRODES OF SAID ACIDS IN THE AMOUNT OF FROM ABOUT 0.5 MOLE OF ACID TO ABOUT 2 MOLES OF ACID PER MOLE OF POLYHYDRIC ALCOHOL, HEATING SAID PARTIAL ESTER IN THE PRESENCE OF AN ACID DEHYDRATION CATALYST UNTIL ABOUT 0.1 TO ABOUT 0.35 MOLE OF WATER OF ETHERIFICATION HAS BEEN EVOLVED FOR EACH MOLE OF SAID PARTIAL ESTER, THEREBY FORMING A MIXTURE CONSISTING ESSENTIALLY OF ESTERS OF SAID POLYHYDRIC ALCOHOL AND THE DIMER OF SAID POLYHYDRIC ALCOHOL, HEATING SAID MIXTURE OF ESTERS WITH A MONOHYDROC ALCOHOL AND AN INTERESTERIFICATION CATALYST TO FORM A MIXTURE CONSISTING ESSENTIALLY OF SAID POLYHYDRIC ALCOHOL, THE DIMER OF SAID POLYHYDROC ALCOHOL, AND AN ESTER OF SAID MONOHYDRIC ALCOHOL, SEPARATING THE POLYHYDRIC ALCOHOLS FROM SAID MIXTURE, AND THEREAFTER ISOLATING SAID DIMER.