Low odor composition for lactate esters and other ester biosolvents

1. A solvent composition comprising a C 1 -C 4 lactate ester and an odor-reducing amount of a tertiary amine having a boiling point at one atmosphere of about 80° C. to about 160° C., said composition (a) being substantially free of odor due to said tertiary amine as compared to the same composition without the tertiary amine, (b) exhibiting a reduced amount of odor due to said lactate ester, and (c) being a homogeneous liquid at zero degrees C.

2. The solvent composition according to claim 1 wherein said lactate ester comprises up to about 99 weight percent of said composition.

3. The solvent composition according to claim 1 wherein said lactate ester comprises about 20 to about 75 weight percent of said composition.

4. The solvent composition according to claim 3 further comprising about 10 to about 60 weight percent of a C 1 -C 4 ester of a C 16 -C 20 fatty acid having a melting point on minus 10° C. or less.

5. The solvent composition according to claim 1 wherein said lactate ester comprises about 30 to about 60 weight percent of said composition.

6. The solvent composition according to claim 5 further comprising about 30 to about 60 weight percent of a C 1 -C 4 ester of a C 16 -C 20 fatty acid having a melting point on minus 10° C. or less.

7. The solvent composition according to claim 1 wherein said lactate ester comprises about 40 to about 70 weight percent of said composition.

8. The solvent composition according to claim 7 further comprising about 1 to about 30 weight percent of a C 1 -C 4 ester of a C 16 -C 20 fatty acid having a melting point on minus 10° C. or less.

9. The solvent composition according to claim 1 wherein said tertiary amine has a boiling point of about 130° C. to about 160° C.

10. The solvent composition according to claim 1 wherein said tertiary amine is present in an amount of about 1 to about 25 percent of the ester present.

11. The solvent composition according to claim 1 wherein said lactate ester is ethyl lactate.

12. The solvent composition according to claim 1 wherein said tertiary amine is selected from the group consisting of N,N-dimethylethanolamine, N,N-diethylethanolamine, 1-dimethylamino-2-propanol, 3-dimethylamino-1-propanol, N-methyl morpholine, N-ethyl morpholine, triethylamine, tripropylamine, triiso-propylamine, 1-dimethylamino-2-propyne, triallylamine, 1-methylpyrrolidine, 1-ethylpyrrolidine, pyridine, 2-picoline, 3-picoline, 4-picoline, 2,3-lutidine, 2,4-lutidine, 2,5-lutidine, 2,6-lutidine, 3,4-lutidine and 3,5-lutidine.

13. A solvent composition comprising ethyl lactate and about 1 to about 25 percent w/w of a tertiary amine having a boiling point at one atmosphere of about 130° C. to about 160° C., said composition (a) being substantially free of odor due to said tertiary amine as compared to the same composition without the tertiary amine, (b) exhibiting a reduced amount of odor due to said lactate ester, and (c) being a homogeneous liquid at zero degrees C.

14. The solvent composition according to claim 13 wherein ethyl lactate comprises up to about 99 weight percent of said composition.

15. The solvent composition according to claim 13 wherein ethyl lactate comprises about 20 to about 75 weight percent of said composition.

16. The solvent composition according to claim 15 further comprising about 10 to about 60 weight percent of a C 1 -C 4 ester of a C 16 -C 20 fatty acid having a melting point on minus 10° C. or less.

17. The solvent composition according to claim 13 wherein ethyl lactate comprises about 30 to about 60 weight percent of said composition.

18. The solvent composition according to claim 17 further comprising about 30 to about 60 weight percent of a C 1 -C 4 ester of a C 16 -C 20 fatty acid having a melting point on minus 10° C. or less.

19. The solvent composition according to claim 13 wherein said lactate ester comprises about 40 to about 70 weight percent of said composition.

20. The solvent composition according to claim 19 further comprising about 1 to about 30 weight percent of a C 1 -C 4 ester of a C 16 -C 20 fatty acid having a melting point on minus 10° C. or less.

21. The solvent composition according to claim 12 wherein said tertiary amine is present in an amount of about 2 to about 10 percent w/w.

22. A solvent composition comprising ethyl lactate and about 2 to about 10 percent w/w of a tertiary amine having a boiling point at one atmosphere of about 130° C. to about 160° C., said composition (a) being substantially free of odor due to said tertiary amine as compared to the same composition without the tertiary amine, (b) exhibiting a reduced amount of odor due to said lactate ester, and (c) being a homogeneous liquid at zero degrees C.

23. The solvent composition according to claim 22 wherein said tertiary amine is aliphatic.

24. The solvent composition according to claim 23 wherein said tertiary amine is N,N-dimethylethanolamine or N,N-diethylethanolamine.

25. A method for reducing the odor of a C 1 -C 4 lactate ester-containing solvent composition that comprises homogeneously admixing an odor-reducing amount of a tertiary amine having a boiling point at one atmosphere of about 80° C. to about 160° C. with said C 1 -C 4 lactate ester-containing composition.

26. The method according to claim 25 wherein said lactate ester comprises up to about 99 weight percent of said composition.

27. The method according to claim 25 wherein said lactate ester comprises about 20 to about 75 weight percent of said composition.

28. The method according to claim 27 further comprising about 10 to about 60 weight percent of a C 1 -C 4 ester of a C 16 -C 20 fatty acid having a melting point on minus 10° C. or less.

29. The method according to claim 25 wherein said lactate ester comprises about 30 to about 60 weight percent of said composition.

30. The method according to claim 29 further comprising about 30 to about 60 weight percent of a C 1 -C 4 ester of a C 16 -C 20 fatty acid having a melting point on minus 10° C. or less.

31. The method according to claim 25 wherein said lactate ester comprises about 40 to about 70 weight percent of said composition.

32. The method according to claim 31 further comprising about 1 to about 30 weight percent of a C 1 -C 4 ester of a C 16 -C 20 fatty acid having a melting point on minus 10° C. or less.

33. The method according to claim 25 wherein said tertiary amine has a boiling point of about 130° C. to about 160° C.

34. The method according to claim 25 wherein said tertiary amine is present in an amount of about 1 to about 25 percent of the ester present.

35. The method according to claim 25 wherein said lactate ester is ethyl lactate.

36. The method according to claim 25 wherein said tertiary amine is selected from the group consisting of N,N-dimethylethanolamine, N,N-diethylethanolamine, 1-dimethylamino-2-propanol, 3-dimethylamino-1-propanol, N-methyl morpholine, N-ethyl morpholine, triethylamine, tripropylamine, triiso-propylamine, 1-dimethylamino-2-propyne, triallylamine, 1-methylpyrrolidine, 1-ethylpyrrolidine, pyridine, 2-picoline, 3-picoline, 4-picoline, 2,3-lutidine, 2,4-lutidine, 2,5-lutidine, 2,6-lutidine, 3,4-lutidine and 3,5-lutidine.

37. A method for reducing the odor of an ethyl lactate-containing solvent composition that comprises homogeneously admixing about 1 to about 25 percent w/w of a tertiary amine having a boiling point at one atmosphere of about 130° C. to about 160° C. with said ethyl lactate-containing composition.

38. The method according to claim 37 wherein said tertiary amine is present in an amount of about 2 to about 10 percent w/w.

39. The method according to claim 37 wherein said tertiary amine is N,N-dimethylethanolamine or N,N-diethylethanolamine.