Sumitomo Chemical Company, Limited

Teijin Limited

Tadahisa Sasano

Toru Sawaki

Masao Sada

Yutaka Fujita

Lactones are separated from a mixture of (a) at least one member selected from the group consisting of hydroxy acids wherein the OH group and the COOH group are bonded through 3 or 4 carbon atoms, lactones derived therefrom, lower polymers of said hydroxy acids and/or said lactones and esters of said hydroxy acids and/or said lactones and (b) at least one member selected from the group consisting of hydroxy acids wherein the OH group and the COOH group are bonded through 5 carbon atoms, lactones derived therefrom, lower polymers of said hydroxy acids and/or said lactones and esters of said hydroxy acids and/or said lactones, by heating said mixture in the presence of one or more monovalent or bivalent aliphatic or alicyclic alcohols under the conditions so as to remove the lactones from said (a) by distillation.

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Iwakuni, Japan

Tadahisa Sasano