Tioxide Specialties Limited

Brian Steven Jolly

John Ridland

Iain Wesley Hepplewhite

A process for the preparation of an ester comprises carrying out an esterification in the presence of a catalyst comprising the reaction product of an orthoester or a condensed orthoester of titanium or zirconium, an alcohol containing at least two hydroxyl groups, a 2-hydroxy acid and a base. The process can be a direct esterification or a transesterification and can be a polyesterification. The catalyst can effectively produce esters without leading to a haze in the final product and there is a reduced amount of yellowing of polyesters in comparison to known catalysts.

Esterification process

The invention consists of a new method of curing a polyester powder coating composition. The resin is cured by the use of an organotitanium or organozirconium derivative of an alkanolamine having the formula M.sub.3 [(OR).sub.3 N].sub.4 or O[M(OR).sub.3 N].sub.2 or R.sup.1 [OM(OR).sub.3 N].sub.x where M represents Ti or Zr, R represents a divalent aliphatic radical, x is 1 to 4 and R .sup.1 is a saturated hydrocarbyl group or a group containing one or more ether linkages. The method is suitable for use with both hydroxyl-rich and carboxyl-rich polyester resins and the cured coatings have desirable physical properties.

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Ruislip, United Kingdom

Brian Steven Jolly