Abstract: An improved process for converting oligomers of alphahydroxycarboxylic acids, such as glycolic and lactic acid, to dimeric cyclic esters, such as glycolide and lactide. The continuous process is conducted at reduced pressures and depolymerizing temperatures in a heated columnar depolymerization zone, coupled with an essentially unheated receiver for unconverted oligomer. By feeding the oligomer to the upper end of the column while coordinating the feed rate with the depolymerization temperature such that a fraction of the oligomer is converted to a vapor product stream containing the cyclic ester and another fraction of the oligomer exits the column at its lower end and passes to the receiver vessel, the dimeric cyclic ester is produced at high production rates and the oligomer is subjected to minimal thermal stress.

Abstract: A dimeric cyclic ester of an alpha-hydroxycarboxylic acid (lactide) is separated and recovered from a vapor product stream containing the cyclic ester, the corresponding lower-boiling hydroxycarboxylic acid (lactic), higher-boiling oligomeric hydroxycarboxylic acid and water without the use of solvents. More specifically, the vapor stream is condensed to obtain a condensate containing substantially all the cyclic ester, and the condensate is refined by distillation means alone to recover the cyclic ester substantially free of water, the alpha-hydroxycarboxylic acid and the higher-boiling oligomers.