Process for improving color of certain alkenyl succinic anhydrides

Claim 1

A process for improving the color of the reaction product of an olefin with maleic anhydride which comprises reacting a straight or branched chain olefin having from 26 to 100 carbon atoms, said olefin having been obtained as a result of the polymerization of ethylene, with maleic anhydride in a temperature range of about 140° to about 250° C. for about three to about 60 hours to obtain an alkenyl succinic anhydride dark in color having the following structural formula: ##STR2## wherein R is an alkenyl group having from 26 to 100 carbon atoms, bringing the alkenyl succinic anhydride at a temperature of about 75° to about 150° C. into contact with water at a temperature of about 0° to about 80° C. wherein the amount of water used relative to said alkenyl succinic anhydride on a molar basis ranges from about 10:1 to about 1000:1, mechanically stirring the resulting mixture over a period of about one-half to about three hours while maintaining the temperature of the water within the range of about 10° to about 80° C., resulting in the solidification of the alkenyl succinic anhydride and the conversion thereof to the corresponding alkenyl succinic acid in particulate form, and then mechanically separating the water from the alkenyl succinic acid to obtain alkenyl succinic acid of improved color.