PROCESS FOR THE SIMULTANEOUS MANUFACTURE OF ALIPHATIC HYDROXYCARBOXYLIC ACID LACTONES AND OF ALIPHATIC OR AROMATIC CARBOXYLIC ACIDS

Aliphatic hydroxycarboxylic acid lactones of formula in which n is from 2 to 30, and aliphatic or aromatic carboxylic acids R.COOH, in which R is H or an alkyl (1-30C) group or an alkyl substituted phenyl are prepared by reacting a mixture of (A) a cycloaliphatic ketone and (B) an aliphatic or aromatic aldehyde oxygen or an oxygen-containing gas at between 0 and 100 DEG C., in the presence of a soluble iron compound as a catalyst and which gives an iron concentration of 0.3 to 3 parts by weight per million parts of starting material by weight, and finally distilling off the resulting lactone and acid. Cyclobutanone, cyclopentanone, cyclohexanone, cycloheptanone, cyclooctanone or cyclododecanone, and formaldehyde, acetaldehyde, propionaldehyde, benzaldehyde or tolualdehyde are mentioned as starting materials, and ferric chloride, acetate or iron acetonyl-acetate are suitable catalysts. Examples describe the reaction of cyclobutanone and benzaldehyde to yield g -butyrolactone and benzoic acid, of cyclopentanone and propionaldehyde to yield d -valerolactone and propionic acid, of cyclohexanone and acetaldehyde to yield e -caprolactone and acetic acid, of cyclooctanone and acetaldehyde to yield o -hydroxycaprylic acid lactone and acetic acid, and cyclododecanone and acetaldehyde to yield 12-dodecalactone and acetic acid.