Takasago International Corporation

Takasago Koryo Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (takasago International

Hideyuki Hongo

Yoji Hori

Toshimitsu Hagiwara

Akio Yamaguchi

Yoko Takahashi

Takashi Imai

Tohru Kobayashi

Minoru Hanada

Yasuo Fujiwara

Seiichi Abe

Hidetoshi Nakayasu

Yasuhiro Mizuno

Crude menthol is dissolved in nitrile series solvent and then menthol is precipitated by cooling the solution to thereby obtain optically and chemically substantially pure menthol, the enantiomeric excess thereof being more than about 99% e.e. and the chemical purity being more than about 99%. Preferred examples of the nitrile series solvent include acetonitrile and propionitrile. The dissolution of crude menthol is carried out at a temperature below 42&#xb0; C., which is the melting point of menthol. The cooling temperature in crystallization is preferably at a room temperature or a little lower temperature than the room temperature. After crystallization of menthol, additional purification process such as a distillation may be conducted, if necessary.

Process for purifying menthol

A perfume-containing controlled release biodegradable resin composition which can release aroma of the included perfume gradually without changing its perfume tone and can be used in such applications as deodorants, etc. The resin composition includes a biodegradable resin which is a random or block copolymer polyester represented by the following formula (1): ##STR1## wherein R.sup.1 is a hydrocarbon radical having 1 to 15 carbon atoms, which is a divalent organic group that may be have a double bond or an oxygen atom but does not have a group represented by the formula ##STR2## wherein the symbol '*' is an asymmetric carbon atom. Each of m and n is 0 or an integer of 100 to 9,000, provided that m+n is within the range of 200 to 10,000. The molar ratio of the structural units [I] and [II] is 1-99:99-1 when m and n are not 0 and the number average molecular weight is 5,000 to 1,000,000, and a perfume such as a cyclic ether, a natural plant perfume, etc., is held in the biodegradable resin.

Perfume-containing controlled release biodegradable resin composition

An optically active block polyester copolymer formed of structural units represented by the following general formulas (I) and (II): ##STR1## wherein represents for an asymmetric carbon atom and m and n each represents a natural number in the range of from 300 to 5000 is obtained by subjecting an optically active butyrolactone and a species of lactone other than the optically active butyrolactone to sequential ringopening copolymerization in the presence of a catalyst. This optically active block polyester copolymer possesses a high molecular weight and a high melting point (not less than 130.degree. C.) and forms a biodegradable and hydrolyzable material of high strength capable of tolerating the impacts of actual use.

Optically active block polyester copolymer and method for production

The biodegradable composition comprises at least poly(beta-hydroxybutyric acid) or a biodegradable copolymer thereof and a stereospecifically regular block copolymer having the structure units of formula (I): ##STR1## where R1 is a hydrocarbon group having 1 to 14 carbon atoms, optionally including double bonds, oxygen atoms or both of them; and m and n are respectively an integer ranging from 300 to 5,000, or having the structure units of formula (II): ##STR2## where R.sup.2, R.sup.3, R.sup.4 and R.sup.5 are either a hydrogen atom or a methyl group; and m and n are respectively an integer ranging from 300 to 5,000.

Biodegradable high molecular composition

The block copolymer of polyesters and polycarbonates comprises at least one of each of the constituting units of (I) and (II) having the general formulae: ##STR1## where the sign * indicates an asymmetric carbon atom; R.sub.1, R.sup.2, R.sup.3 and R.sup.4 are either a hydrogen atom or a methyl group; m and n are respective a natural numbers ranging from 300 to 5000: The block copolymer is obtained by successive ring-opening and copolymerization of optically active .beta.-butyrolactones and cyclic carbonates in the presence of a catalyst. The block polymer obtained has high molecular weight and high melting temperature, and can thus be used as a high strength material for practical use and which has bio-degradable and hydrolyzable nature.

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Kanagawa, Japan

Hideyuki Hongo