Preparation of polyol fatty acid polyesters from sucrose and fatty acid alkyl esters using atmospheric or superatmospheric pressure

摘要

The method for the solvent-less transesterification of sucrose comprises reacting sucrose with fatty acid alkyl ester in the presence of a basic catalyst to produce sucrose fatty acid polyester products and alkyl alcohol by-products. The majority of the sucrose is converted to octa-ester and the reaction is conducted in a reactor at a temperature in the range of from 60oC to 180oC at atmospheric or superatmospheric pressure. The reaction involves sparging an inert gas through the reactor with sufficient mass transfer surface area contact between the inert gas and a liquid mixture of reactant and product to transfer the alkyl alcohol by-product from the liquid mixture to the inert gas and promote conversion of a majority of the sucrose to octa-ester without the use of vacuum pressure.