Organotin catalyzed transesterification

摘要

Methyl or ethyl esters of mono- and polycarboxylic acids are transesterified with alcohols and polyols by reaction in the presence of a catalytically effective amount of organotin catalyst, so that an alcohol or polyol carboxylic acid ester is formed, which is then washed with aqueous alkali having a pH bigger than about 13.2 so as to remove essentially all of the organotin catalyst, thereby permitting the recovery of the alcohol or polyol carboxylic acid ester essentially free of the organotin catalyst.