| abstract |
A vinyl ester of a higher carboxylic acid having at least C5 is obtained by heating a mixture of such acid and a lower carboxylic acid having less than C5 with acetylene and a catalyst of a zinc salt of a lower carboxylic acid. Specified higher acids are valeric, caproic, caprylic, capric, lauric, myristic, palmitic, stearic or benzoic, whilst the preferred lower acid is acetic. The catalyst may be supported. In examples, the laurate, caprylate and benzoate are prepared. |