Methods for producing alkyl hydroxyalkanoates
Methods and systems for producing alkyl hydroxyalkanoate from hydroxy carboxylic acid recovery bottoms. The methods generally comprise the steps of obtaining a hydroxy carboxylic acid recovery bottom, adding a mono-alcohol to the hydroxy carboxylic acid recovery bottom to obtain a first mixture, beating the first mixture in the presence of a catalyst to form a reaction product, distilling the reaction product, and recovering an alkyl hydroxyalkanoate fraction.
1. A method for producing ethyl lactate, comprising:
a) obtaining a lactic acid recovery bottom comprising saccharide equivalents;
b) mixing a ethanol with the lactic acid recovery bottom, comprising saccharide equivalents, to obtain a first mixture;
c) heating the first mixture in the presence of a catalyst to form a reaction product; and
d) distilling the reaction product and recovering an ethyl lactate fraction;
wherein the lactic acid recovery bottom comprises:
at least 40 percent by weight hydroxyalkanoate equivalents;
less than 40 percent by weight free hydroxyalkanoates;
at least 1 percent by weight saccharide equivalents; and
less than 15 percent by weight water.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the ethyl lactate fraction comprises:
a) at least 90 percent by weight ethyl lactate;
b) less than 1 percent by weight lactic acid;
c) less than 1 percent by weight water; and
d) less than 0.5 percent by weight saccharide equivalents.