Method of preparing tertiary butyl peroxy esters

Claim 1

THE PROCESS OF PREPARING THE TERTIARY BUTYL PEROXY ESTER OF A LOWER ALKANOIC ACID OF 2 TO 5 CARBON ATOMS INCLUSIVE, BY THE REACTION OF T-BUTYL HYDROPEROXIDE AND THE ANHYDRIDE OF THE ALKANOIC ACID UNDER COOLING TO A TEMPERATURE BELOW 20*C., BY CONTACT AND UNDER VIGOROUS STIRRING, WHICH COMPRISES SLOWLY ADDING T-BUTYL HYDROPEROXIDE IN AN AQUEOUS ALKALINE SOLUTION OF AN ALKALI METAL TO THE ANHYDRIDE OF THE ALKANOIC ACID CARRIED IN AN INERT ORGANIC SOLVENT IN WHICH THE WANTED PEROXY ESTER IS SOLUBLE, SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF BENZENE AND THE ALKANES C6 TO C12 INCLUSIVE, THE AMOUNT OF THE ALKALI METAL HYDROXIDE BEING SUFFICIENT TO PROVIDE THE ALKALINE ENVIRONMENT FOR THE REACTION, AND TO NEUTRALIZE THE ALKANOIC ACID FORMED FROM THE ANHYDRIDE AND THE AMOUNT OF THE ANHYDRIDE BEING IN EXCESS OF THAT REQUIRED TO COMBINE WITH THE HYDROPEROXIDE ADDED, AND SEPARATING THE WANTED PEROXY ESTER FROM THE REACTION ENVIRONMENT BY WITHDRAWING THE INERT SOLVENT WITH THE PEROXY ESTER THEREIN.