METHOD FOR OBTAINING POLYOL ESTERS-ENRICHED PRODUCT STREAMS FROM THE SIDE-STREAMS IN POLYOL ESTER PRODUCTION

A process for obtaining product streams enriched with polyol esters from the secondary streams from polyol ester preparation, comprising a) the reaction of polyols of the general formula (II) H-(-O-[-CR1R2-]m-)o-OH (II) in which R1 and R2 are each independently hydrogen, an alkyl radical having 1 to 5 carbon atoms or a hydroxyalkyl radical having 1 to 5 carbon atoms, m is an integer from 1 to 10, o is an integer from 2 to 15, with linear or branched aliphatic monocarboxylic acids having 3 to 20 carbon atom, with removal of the water formed; b) the removal of unconverted starting compounds from the crude ester formed; c) the treatment of the crude ester obtained in step b) with steam to form a volatile secondary stream; and d) the removal of the volatile secondary stream obtained in step c), characterized in that the volatile secondary stream obtained in step d) is separated into an aqueous phase and an organic phase and the organic phase removed is subjected to a further treatment with steam and a product stream enriched with polyol esters is obtained as residue.