Distribution of monoesters resulting from the esterification of a mixture of glycols and triols

The distribution of monoesters resulting from the esterification of mixtures of C₃ to C₆ glycols and triols with lauric acid is reported. Glycols with two primary, two secondary, and one primary and one secondary, both vicinal and isolated, as well as triols with both vicinal and isolated hydroxyls, were investigated for their relative esterifiability. Nonvicinal glycols with only primary hydroxyls were found to have equal reactivity. Glycols and triols that have one secondary hydroxyl show a lower relative esterifi-ability than compounds with only primary hydroxyls. The reactivity is dependent on the position of the secondary hydroxyl in the mol-ecule. Esterifiabilities relative to 1,4 butanediol ranged from 0.228 for the secondary hydroxyl of 1,2,6 hexanetriol up to 1.591 for the isolated primary hydroxyl of 1,2,4 butanetriol. 1 Presented at the AOCS Meeting, Philadelphia, October 1966.