Process for manufacturing aromatic diacetates

A continuous process for the production of diacetate derivatives of aromatic compounds, comprising feeding at any convenient temperature an oxygen-containing gas and feedstock comprising a diisopropyl ring substituted aromatic compound and the recycled monoisopropyl-monoacetate derivative thereof, to an oxidizer operated, for example, at from about 10 DEG C. to about 150 DEG C. and oxygen partial pressures of from about 0.05 to 10 atmospheres to form an oxidizer product comprising the mono- and dihydroperoxides of the feedstock, feeding the oxidizer product to a rearrangement-esterification zone containing acetic anhydride at from about 0 DEG C. to 150 DEG C. to form an ester product comprising the diacetate and monoisopropyl-monoacetate derivatives of the feedstock, distilling the ester product to separate the diacetate and monoisopropyl-monoacetate derivatives, and recycling the monoisopropyl-monoacetate derivative back to the oxidizer.