PROCESS FOR PREPARING NONIONIC SURFACTANT SORBITAN FATTY-ACID ESTERS WITH AND WITHOUT PREVIOUS SORBITOL CYCLIZATION

The purpose of this work was to determine the course of the esterifica tion reaction of hexitols and a long chain length fatty acid at differ ent temperatures. Sorbitol esters of lauric acid were prepared by the esterification of sorbitol and lauric acid (molar ratio, 1:1) in the p resence of p-toluenesulfonic acid as a catalyst. The esterification wa s carried out at 140, 150, 160, and 180 degrees C, with and without so rbitol cyclization, under atmospheric pressure. The reaction course wa s followed by taking samples after 15, 30, 45, 60, 90, 120, and 150 mi n, and determining the acid value. The results shows that the conversi on of lauric acid is better if sorbitol is previously cycled at all ex amined temperatures. This work presents one possible solution to a pro blem that should be of interest to surfactant and carbohydrate chemist s.