US Patent 10207979 Methods for producing alkyl hydroxyalkanoates

Methods and systems for producing alkyl hydroxyalkanoate from hydroxy carboxylic acid recovery bottoms. The methods generally comprise the steps of obtaining a hydroxy carboxylic acid recovery bottom, adding a mono-alcohol to the hydroxy carboxylic acid recovery bottom to obtain a first mixture, heating the first mixture in the presence of a catalyst to form a reaction product, distilling the reaction product, and recovering an alkyl hydroxyalkanoate fraction.