PROCESS FOR PREPARING ESTERS Russian patent published in 1995 - IPC

FIELD: preparation of esters by catalytic esterification of lower carboxylic acid with an alcohol. SUBSTANCE: an ester of the general formula: H⁵ wherein R is linear RCOOR′,-alkyl and RC₁-C₄ is R′-C₂-C₅- alkyl is prepared by continuously feeding pendically equivalent amounts of carboxylic acid of the formula: RCOOH and alkanol of the formula: R′OH wherein R and R′ are as defined above, into a reaction vessel containing carboxylic acid, alkanol, the resulting ester, an esterification catalyst and not greater than 5 wt of water. The resulting ester and water are removed from the reaction vessel by distillation into the rectification column to which water is added to form an ester-water azeotrope. The azeotrope is separated in a phase separator to obtain a final ester. The catalyst is alkylbenzenesulfonic acid of the formula indicated in the specification in an amount of 0.1-5.0 wt and the process is carried out at 80-180 C and at a pressure from atmospheric to 5,3 kg/cm².. EFFECT: more efficient preparation process. 10 cl, 1 dwg, 2 tbl